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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22792120">Danganronpa 24: Winter Of Our Despair</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirDanTheScribe/pseuds/SirDanTheScribe'>SirDanTheScribe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blitzfeld Stangeberg (OC), Carolyn Vale (OC), Chiba Aiji (OC), Dangan Ronpa - Freeform, Dangan Ronpa 24, Danganronpa 24, Danganronpa 24 Winter Of Our Despair, Despair, Fangan, Fanganronpa, Gennai Nakada (OC), Heikichi Sakoda (OC), Hibari Uchimura (OC), Hiromu Daitanuso (OC), Hope, Hope's Peak Academy, Jiro Kurosawa (OC), Korikuma (OC), Kota Ojiro (OC), Kotona Oshi (OC), Maruki Ryobe (OC), Mayoko Etsuko (OC), Midori Mikihara (OC), Monokuma (Dangan Ronpa) Being An Asshole, Multi, OC, OC Killing Game, Original Character(s), Other, Post-Dangan Ronpa 3: Hope Arc, Susuko Kamei (OC), Takuji Anzai (OC), Tanki Gurenko (OC), Winter Of Our Despair, danganronpa - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 17:48:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>67,704</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22792120</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirDanTheScribe/pseuds/SirDanTheScribe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An OC Killing Game<br/>By SirDanTheScribe and Albany<br/>Creative Assistance by Aceofspadescosplay</p><p>---</p><p>It's a new era of peace and hope. The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event In Human History has passed, the world has returned to a tame status quo and Hope's Peak is ready to open it's door to the world's best and brightest once again.</p><p>Fat chance, right?</p><p>Before you can say seasonal rot, sixteen students of the new Hope's Peak Academy find themselves lost in a foreboding lodge, at the mercy of a certain mechanical bear. With nothing left to live for but his own sadistic satisfaction, this last Monokuma sets into motion one last Killing Game to show the world that, though Despair may have lost the war, it will not lose graciously.</p><p>Will the new generation of hope be able to unite in the face of this terrifying blast from a long dormant past or will the meister of despair prove, once again, that that there is no escape from...</p><p>Oh, who are we kidding? We know exactly how this will play out.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue: Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>                “Well…I guess it didn’t turn out the way you thought it would. That’s gotta suck big time, ain’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>“……”</p><p> </p><p>                “Still, I don’t see what the big issue is. I told you all from the start how this would work: kill a classmate, get away with it, sell all the rest down the River Styx. Seemed pretty straight forward, if ya ask me.”</p><p> </p><p>“……”</p><p> </p><p>                “Aw, c’mon! What’s with that dopey look on your face? This is what you wanted, right? Otherwise, why did you do it?”</p><p> </p><p>“……”</p><p> </p><p>                “You’re a strange one, y’know that? Still, I suppose you have to be a little off to do what you did. It’s only common sense, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“……”</p><p> </p><p>                “So, that just leaves the big question. You probably already know, since you decided to take things this far, but I still gotta ask…</p><p>                “What are ya gonna do now…murderer?”</p><p> </p><p>“……”</p><p> </p><p>“……”</p><p> </p><p>“……”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>PROLOGUE</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>OLD WORLD DESPAIR FOR</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>A NEW WORLD HOPE</strong>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>Another time, another place…</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Side: Jiro</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>Congratulations, Jiro Kurosawa</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>After much careful consideration, we are delighted to announce that you have been cordially invited to attend the main course at Hope’s Peak Academy.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Hope’s Peak Academy is a prestigious government-funded school where only the people at the top of their respective field are invited to attend.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Our talent scouts have determined that you are eligible to attend in recognition of your talents as the Ultimate Editor.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>All necessary items will be provided to you, including student accommodation, catering and other amenities, uniforms and school supplies. You are entitled to bring whatever personal effects you desire.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Term commences on April 20XX. Please report to the front gate, where you will be escorted to the induction ceremony.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>We look forward to seeing how you put your talents to good use.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Yours faithfully</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Makoto Naegi</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Headmaster</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hope’s Peak Academy</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                Yeah, if that doesn’t sound like the opening exposition to a schlocky visual novel, I don’t know what I can tell you.</p><p> </p><p>                I mean, let’s be real for a moment: a school as large and influential as this, if it’s even actually a school, couldn’t possibly be anything but a fever dream ripped right out of fiction. The money and reach required to make a stupendous project like this work would be astronomical to any sane mind, so how in the world could anyone believe in something so embarrassingly fantastical?</p><p> </p><p>                And yet, here I find myself, standing outside the main gate of this seemingly impossible institution. For many years, Hope’s Peak has been hard at work cultivating and researching talent of all sorts. Every one of my laboured brain cells was telling me that this didn’t make sense, and yet here I was. The proverbial jackpot is yours, Jiro. Enjoy it.</p><p> </p><p>                That said, I should probably take a break from my cynicism and introduce myself: I’m Jiro Kurosawa, and, no, there’s no relation to the legendary filmmaker. That said, being selected to attend Hope’s Peak Academy as the Ultimate Editor means I should probably get used to people pestering me about that on an almost daily basis…yay.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Jiro Kurosawa</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Editor</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Crispin Freeman)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                Still, I suppose there are worse ways to be misunderstood. I try to hide it for the sake of ordinary conversation, but to tell you the truth, I’m a major cinephile. Ever since I was a toddler, jamming plastic building bricks up my nose, I’ve had an immense fascination for film and I’d always wondered about the processes that went into making cinematic magic…and the mountains of trash that fall by the wayside. Bit by bit, I brought myself through the processes and, by age 13, I’d cut my very first movie. For a good month or so, ‘Murder Most Farcical’ was an indie darling, setting fire to film festivals here, there and all over, and that success spurred me on to where I am today.</p><p> </p><p>                Oh well. Now that I’m here, it’s probably about time that I quit my smug navel-gazing and set foot into the academy itself. I didn’t get invited to just stand outside the front gate and snark my way to a better life, so, as they say, onwards and up –</p><p> </p><p>                “…”</p><p> </p><p>                I can’t explain why, but just as I was about to take my first step onto the academy’s grounds, something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned my head to get a better look, only to find myself staring at this girl, standing rather pensively in front of the gate alongside me. Truth be told, she was quite good looking – her sleek lilac hair, tied up in a neat ponytail, was particularly notable – but there was an air about her that was rather alarming.</p><p>                Her pristine blue attire and alert posture painted a vivid picture of her as someone who had a clear purpose in mind – a picture most definitely magnified by my presence next to her. I was hardly what you could call shabby, but my wrinkled brown sweater vest and untucked shirt hardly did wonders for my “reputation” as a world class student. The sad thing is I couldn’t even use the age-old excuse of ‘I was in a rush’…</p><p> </p><p>                I didn’t really have a reason to, but I figured it would at least be polite to say something so, as I reached into my pocket to pull out my letter of invitation…</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey!” I called out casually, waving my letter to catch her eye. “You heading my way?”</p><p> </p><p>                Real smooth, Jiro. Totally not a hacky, clichéd way to start a conversation. Good on you.</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t immediately turn her gaze to me as she pulled out her own letter of invitation.</p><p>“Most probably,” she stated matter-of-factly, before letting out what appeared to be a soft smile. “Can’t guarantee we’ll be in the same class, but I guess we’ll find out shortly.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Right…good point.”</p><p> </p><p>                Yeah, way to follow up with the awkward silence there, pal. In order to try and break the ice, I continued. “It still seems fairly insane to me – Hope’s Peak in general, I mean. To think that this place is actually a legitimate school and not just some overly elaborate masquerade…pretty crazy, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s…bigger than I thought it would be, admittedly.”</p><p> </p><p>                Don’t laugh, you immature bastard! Don’t you even –</p><p> </p><p>                “Well,” I coughed out, just about managing to avoid letting out a cackle. “Uh, given the immense range of talent that comes out of this place, I can’t say I’m too surprised.”</p><p> </p><p>                Not that I’d know: knowing my luck, my talent will probably keep me holed up in some computer lab for a large chunk of my time here. Yay me!</p><p> </p><p>“I’m certain that won’t happen – it’s not legal.”</p><p> </p><p>                Wait, was that out loud? Damn it!</p><p> </p><p>                I sheepishly glanced over at the lilac-haired girl to see that she’d turned to face me now and was smiling charmingly, evidently amused at my momentary loss of mental filter. Seeing this, I was able to relax my shoulders a little, even if I was mildly embarrassed. “Besides,” she continued, moving to a more adamant tone, “While I’m here, nothing’s going to happen to us. I’ll make sure of it.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Is that so?” I asked smirkingly. “I have to admit, I like that confidence.” Turning to her, I extended my hand out to this lilac-haired girl, having delayed introductions for too long. “The name’s Jiro Kurosawa. Nice to meet you…uh,”</p><p> </p><p>                “Mayoko Etsuko,” she replied directly, taking my hand in a firm shake. Going by that and her bold declaration, whatever her talent was, she certainly meant business. Whatever happens now, at least it ought to be somewhat interesting.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Mayoko Etsuko</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate…uh</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Tracey Rooney)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                “Well then, Mayoko Etsuko,” I started. “It looks like this is home for the next three years. You ready to – huh?”</p><p> </p><p>                I could barely finish my sentence before, out of nowhere, I was knocked on my ass with a hard thud.</p><p> </p><p>“Outta the way, nerds! This school ain’t gonna rule itself!”</p><p> </p><p>                Heaving myself back to my feet, I turned to catch sight of what had just sent me flying, barely catching sight of what looked like a rough waterfall of pink hair, swaggering through the main gate and up to the door of the academy itself. I was still quite flabbergasted at how callously I’d been thrown to the curb by…whoever that was. Please don’t let her be in my class…</p><p> </p><p>                “Quite the feisty Frӓulein, is she not?”</p><p> </p><p>                I barely had time to gather my thoughts when, out of nowhere, I found myself greeted by an elaborate sleeve snaking its way around my collar, resting upon my left shoulder. I quickly turned my head to find its owner, only to be greeted by a towering guy ripped right out of the baroque era. I mean, seriously, I was just about eye level with his cravat. He seemed to have taken notice of this however, as he proceeded to bring his head down to meet mine til we were practically touch temples.</p><p> </p><p>                “I can foresee this being quite the fortuitous academia. You agree, ja?”</p><p> </p><p>                In all honesty, this guy’s forthcoming behaviour and touchy-feelyness were seriously off-putting. Fortunately, he decided not to linger too long as he proceeded onward through the main gate. Though he was no longer towering above me however, I still couldn’t shake his…uh, presence, as he marched up to the front door, like the bubblegum bandit before him.</p><p> </p><p>                Perhaps hoping for some sympathy from Mayoko, I turned back to the lilac-haired girl, only to find that we were now separated by a steady procession of, presumably, other students. It seemed as if the loud-mouthed chick and “Prince Pompous” were only an indicator of things to come though, as this student body was the most bizarre gathering I’d witnessed in my entire life. An eerie chap in a lab coat, an apparent MCR fan in denial, an anthropomorphic dumpling: this was certainly quite the motley crew of weirdos.</p><p> </p><p>                Eventually, the eclectic crowd of students had passed. Once more, the stretch of pavement outside the gates of Hope’s Peak Academy had fallen into tranquil peace – a peace, I’m sure, that would certainly not be held up inside.</p><p> </p><p>                “…Our classmates, I take it,” I chuckled half-heartedly.</p><p> </p><p>                “Presumably,” Mayoko concurred. “It’s almost nine, so we should probably follow them.”</p><p> </p><p>                “True. Care to lead the – ”</p><p> </p><p>“Ooooohhhhh, shit! I’mma be late for anime schoooool!”</p><p> </p><p>                They say that lightning never strikes twice, but I’d like to present myself as living proof because, once again, some unseen force threw me off my feet and onto my ass. I could barely register the black and yellow blur that had sent me flying, but the nonsensical words that had erupted from their mouth left me reeling: I honestly had no idea if this was confusion or second hand embarrassment. Whatever it was, I was utterly wordless as I rose back to my feet again.</p><p> </p><p>                “Okay,” I uttered incredulously, brushing a thin layer of dust off of my sweater vest. “I’m just gonna pretend I didn’t see that.”</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s going to be a long three years,” Mayoko amusedly replied, evidently trying to process…that about as well as I was. “Do you just want to go in together?”</p><p> </p><p>                “I mean, it’s gotta beat standing out here for the whole time.”</p><p> </p><p>                Alright, that’s it. No more surprises, no more sudden shocks, no more…Naruto-running banana men. This is where I, Jiro Kurosawa, officially start my time at Hope’s Peak Academy.</p><p> </p><p>                I gave Mayoko one last quick smirk before crossing the threshold of the academy’s main gate, ready for, what I was still desperately hoping would be, a normal, reasonable education. Little did I know however, I was about to kiss goodbye to normal for the rest of my life. The moment that I set foot through that open gate…</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                If I had to describe what had happened to me, I’d say it was kinda like a ripple dissolve and a dolly zoom got together and tripped out on ‘shrooms. Everything around me was suddenly an abstract vortex of darkness and light, as all senses abandoned me.</p><p> </p><p>                Just then however, out of this chaotic void, came what appeared to be a set of doors. It was a particularly nice set of doors, if I had to say so myself, with huge, brass ring knockers polished to an absurd degree. I couldn’t make it out too well from the front gate of the academy, but this appeared to be a very different door to the one that I was meant to walk through this morning.</p><p> </p><p>                Something is wrong here.</p><p> </p><p>                Not knowing what else to do, I reached out my hand, only to find my view of the door obscured by a torrent of white powder. Either I’d ended up in Tony Montana’s deepest fantasy or I’d somehow ended up in a blizzard, though a bitter chill which swiftly started to engulf my body quickly confirmed it as the latter. First, a void, and then a blizzard? What did I do to deserve this acid trip?</p><p> </p><p>                I couldn’t ponder this train of thought for much longer as the icy chill of said blizzard began to drag at my consciousness. As hard as I tried to resist, my obscured view of that immaculate set of doors was starting to fade away until, once again, I was faced with nothing but darkness...</p><p> </p><p>                How do I…even…</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                I have no idea how much time passed between me passing out and waking up, but once I eventually did return to the land of the living, I was faced with a lot of more serious questions besides that.</p><p> </p><p>                Most importantly, where the hell was I?</p><p> </p><p>                As I rubbed my tired eyelids, I started to notice that I was lying in a foetal position on this immense, soft…something. If I was to resort to a dead horse cliché, I’d say that I was curled up on a humongous marshmallow, but then I’d have to take a shot of vinegar to wash down the disgust I’d feel towards myself for doing so.</p><p> </p><p>                Nevertheless, here I was, curled up on a criminally comfortable king-size bed; itself the central fixture of a vastly lit, dark wood-panelled room. The room itself was rather spacious – or should I say barren – as the only real decorations were an empty shelving unit to the left of the bed and a waist-high cabinet to the right. Further down the room, I could see what appeared to be a door, situated down a short hall formed by two wall extensions in each corner – were they closets of some kind?</p><p> </p><p>                I’m dead. I don’t know how it happened, or when or why, but that’s the only logical explanation, right? That or this is a ludicrously lucid coma. I mean, seriously; one minute I’m standing outside this incredulous school in the thriving heart of Tokyo, then I’m whisked off to some bizarre void, plagued by a blizzard, and now I’m in a wood-panelled room, on a humongous bed…did I ever actually wake up this morning?</p><p> </p><p>                “Right, that’s it!” I sighed, heavily beleaguered by whatever the heck was happening right now, so much so that I no longer cared that I was talking to myself. “I’m getting some answers somehow and I don’t care who – ”</p><p> </p><p>                As soon as I’d heaved myself across the bed to get back onto my feet, my gaze was immediately attracted to a decorative gift box, sitting at the foot of the door that I saw earlier. Confusion led to curiosity as I started walking trepidatiously towards the mystery box, across a checkerboard rug that had been obscured from my view when I was on the bed, crouching down to pick it up and give it a closer look.</p><p> </p><p>The box itself was actually rather inoffensive, covered in rather bland black and white wrapping paper and held together by a glossy red ribbon. What did attract my eye however was the tag attached to the ribbon, bearing some kanji text which unmistakably read:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>                Jiro Kurosawa, complements of Hope’s Peak Academy</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                From confusion to curiosity, and now to consternation. If I was actually conscious right now, it was clear that I was being messed with. I don’t care if it’s some kind of hazing ritual or inaugural prank: I was about done with whatever this was, and I wanted answers.</p><p> </p><p>                Not having a pocket large enough to stow the gift box into, I decided to just hold it in my left hand as I reached for the door handle and, with perhaps a bit too much force, wrenched it open and strode out of the room.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                I now found myself stood in a fairly narrow corridor, decorated about as minimally as the room that I’d just exited. Up and down the corridor though, I could see a number of other doors, presumably leading into rooms similar to the one in which I had awakened earlier. If it wasn’t the way that the rooms were so close together, it was probably the tacky pixel art faces and accompanying name tags that led me to believe that this was some sort of dormitory corridor. Slowly but surely, I was starting to get a sense of where I was.</p><p> </p><p>                Before I could ponder further the bizarre happenings around me, I was alerted to a rumbling sound emanating from the far end of the corridor, to my right. After giving it further attention, it started to sound a bit like a collection of voices in heavy conversation…</p><p> </p><p>                Voices?! Voices means people, and people means answers. With increased hope of finding my answers, I started to pick up the pace a little until I was practically flying down the stairs.</p><p> </p><p>                On my way down, I was unconsciously tearing open the gift box that had been left for me back in that strange room, to find myself staring at a metallic object that resembled a fairly inconspicuous smart phone. I turned it over a couple of times in my hand, hoping to find something telling about it, only to find that it was a rather drab little device, all things considered.</p><p> </p><p>                Now finding myself with an empty gift box, I glanced around the lower corridor I was now walking along, hoping to find some sign of a trash can. Luckily, as I continued to follow the muffled noise down a side corridor, I was greeted by an innocently empty trash can, into which I threw the hapless remains of that bleh little box.</p><p>                “Well, that’s one problem solved,” I sighed, fractionally proud of that throw I’d just made. “Now, I’ve just gotta figure out the rest of - ”</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, man, that was a pretty good yeet you just did!”</p><p> </p><p>                What the?! I have no idea what I’d just heard, but the realisation that I was no longer alone sent a chill through every fibre of being - a chill that left me with nothing to say.</p><p> </p><p>                “Eh?!”</p><p> </p><p>                Well, nothing intelligent, at least. Turning around, I came face to face with the source of the bizarre compliment and...</p><p> </p><p>                Holy crap, this guy is tall!</p><p> </p><p>                Like, no joke, I actually had to crane my head back to look him in his playfully bright silver eyes, which lay beneath a shaggy patch of plum shoulder-length hair; his chosen attire a strange combination I could only describe as technicolour dapper, all the way down to his galaxy-patterned dress shoes.</p><p> </p><p>                “Y’know?” he continued, seemingly unaware of my bewilderment. “Yeet? When you just kinda...”</p><p>                The gangly oddball suddenly stopped mid-sentence to mime a throwing motion, before following it up with a series of strange arm gestures that made it look as though he was showing off an enormous invisible fish; a boyishly charming grin plastered all over his face.</p><p> </p><p>                I had just about come to terms with the fact that I had been warped to some mysterious lodge, but meeting this lunatic had me questioning my sense of reality all over again: who was he? What was he doing here? Was there a version of myself that any of this made any sense to?</p><p> </p><p>                “Eh?!” I spluttered, utterly incapable of coming up with an articulate response to his mime show. He seemed, for a moment, to be a little crestfallen, before regaining his overly pleasant composure.</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m Takuji Anzai, and...uh, where are we?”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Takuji Anzai</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>“Gangly Oddball”</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Sam Riegel)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                Takuji Anzai, huh? I had the sneaking suspicion that I’d heard the name somewhere before, but if I had, I’d must’ve deemed it utterly unremarkable...what a fool I was.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, uh, Jiro Kurosawa,” I replied, realising that introductions would probably help down the road. “And yeah, hell if I know.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Ah , cool cool,” Takuji chirped. “Don’t suppose you know the wi-fi password or something?”</p><p> </p><p>                He said it so nonchalantly, as if he were visiting a friend’s house - wait, would someone like him even have any friends...too harsh there, Jiro! Regardless, his sense of relaxation was somewhat enviable.</p><p>                “Not sure what good it’d do ya if I even knew,” I replied bluntly. “My phone’s gone missing and, uh...no idea what this is.”</p><p> </p><p>                At that moment, I proceeded to pull out the digital device that I’d found in the gift box and showed it to Takuji, hoping that it would elicit some kind of knowing response. Takuji bent down - a considerable feat, given his tree-like frame - to give the device a closer look and, before saying anything else, swiped it out of my waiting hand and started waving it around in the air to get a look all over.</p><p>                “Ooh, cool! Does it have any games on it?” he cheered.</p><p> </p><p>                “Okay, first off, rude!” I snapped, hastily snatching the device back from Takuji the moment it had reached an attainable height. “Secondly, how the hell should I know? I don’t even know what it is - I just woke up five minutes ago in a strange bed, with that thing sitting in a box.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Geez, fine!” he huffed, adding under his breath <em>I didn’t want to play your games anyway</em>, before snapping back to cheerful mode. “Hey, do you think I have one of those things?”</p><p> </p><p>                “No idea...probably. Find any weird boxes that said ‘Compliments of Hope’s Peak Academy’ on it?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Uh, maybe? I kinda just woke up over there, slumped in a corner on the floor,” Takuji paused to gesture with his thumb to a spot further down the corridor. “Wasn’t really anything around but a few vending machines and a trash can.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well that’s...” completely useless and a total waste of time that makes me regret stopping to talk to this weirdo when I could’ve been searching for intelligent life...uh…</p><p>                “...Kinda sucky.”</p><p> </p><p>                I guess I can’t be too mad at him - he’s just as lost as I am, so I probably shouldn’t have expected too much new info. Still, it’s kinda frustrating that I’m invited to what’s supposed to be a ridiculously prestigious school and all I really have to show for it is a pretentious letter and a weird device that I can’t even –</p><p> </p><p>                Wait! How could I have been so stupid?! If anything’s gonna jog this guy’s memory, it’ll be this!</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, Takuji! This ring any bells for you?” I urged, retrieving the invitation letter from my pocket and brandishing it in front of Takuji, being careful to emphasise the Hope’s Peak seal - my last hope for some concrete information.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hmmmmm!” Takuji hummed, gazing at the letter with such concentration that I wouldn’t be surprised to see smoke pouring out of his ears in a few seconds. Eventually, his response came, short and sweet, with a mirthful chuckle.</p><p>“Yeah...I can’t read!”</p><p> </p><p>                I knew it! He’s fucking with me! I have no idea what his deal is, but if he’s just gonna sit there and say inane crap like that, I’d be better off talking to a brick wall.</p><p>“Well...I’ll be off now...” I said curtly, adding under my breath, once my back was turned to him. “I’ll see if I can find anyone sane around he-</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>THWACK!</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>                Pain...real bad pain...I have no idea what just happened, but I was suddenly on the ground and finding it hard to breath. As I clutched at my sore stomach, struggling to retain my concentration, a dark shape passed over me and came to a stop between my curled-up self and the spot where Takuji stood, aghast - a small pleasure, I guess.</p><p> </p><p>                “Took you long enough, douchebag!”</p><p> </p><p>                Whoever just spoke then was a complete stranger because never before had I heard such a shrill, dominating voice. All I could tell was that the speaker was a girl and, as I struggled back to my feet and regained my senses, my suspicions turned out to be true.</p><p> </p><p>                Though she stood a mere five feet tall, her forehead in line with my sternum (or where it would be if I was still standing up straight), every inch of her – from her messy brunette bob, crowned by a violently pink fringe, to her burgundy combat boots – radiated sheer discontent, as she scowled periodically between Takuji and myself.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ooh, that had to hurt,” Takuji winced, finally dropping the playful facade.</p><p> </p><p>                “What the fu-“</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, don’t be such a pussy! I barely tapped you,” the scowling girl barked. “It’s not my fault you’re as feeble as tofu.”</p><p> </p><p>                That’s what she calls a tap?! Who pissed in her ramen this morning?</p><p> </p><p>                “And you!” she continued, turning her attention to Takuji, who now looked exceedingly trepidatious. “I gave you one simple instruction: look for other people scattered around this place and come find me when ya do; so...”</p><p>                She then proceeded to take an iron grip on Takuji’s emerald tie and yanked it down so that he was now face to face with her - a feat which meant that Takuji was practically perpendicular. The scowling girl’s voice dropped to a sinister whisper as she asked him, “the fuck’ve you been doing?!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Ah, well, you know,” Takuji mumbled, trying really hard to look not at all phased, as his voice jumped up an octave. “I took a look in the vending machines over there for a bit, wandered around the hallway and looked into some rooms - I think the two over there are bathrooms, FYI - and then this guy comes along and yeets this box into the trash, so we’ve just been chilling in the hallway - uh, five feet apart, cos we’re not gay - and all that for the past couple of minutes...until you showed up.”</p><p> </p><p>                For a tense moment, not a single word passed between Takuji and ‘scowling girl’, as if she were trying to parse some kind of sense out of his useless testimony. Eventually, it looked as though she was slackening her grip on Takuji’s tie...until she pulled her head back and delivered an almighty headbutt right into his nose. The impact came with such an almighty crunch that even I winced.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ah, fuck! I can’t believe you’ve done this!” Takuji squealed, desperately trying to stem the flow of blood that was gushing out of his nose and staining his otherwise pristine sunflower yellow waistcoat. “My fucking nose! Oh my God, that hurts!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Come on, you useless lug!” ‘scowling girl’ groaned, dragging me around by my tie to face the pristine oaken double doors behind us. “Everyone should be gathered in the foyer by now, so stop whining and get moving.”</p><p> </p><p>                Before I could even respond, the girl had stomped through the doors, a faint din being audible through the doors as they briefly lay ajar. Everyone should be gathered? Everyone, as in other people? As in some who isn’t a complete basket case?!</p><p>                “Hey, hang on a second!” I started, as the brunette bruiser vanished behind the now closed doors. I strode right after her, determined to get answers that weren’t comprised of sucker punches. As I pushed open the surprisingly heavy doors...</p><p> </p><p>                “I said hang on a sec-“</p><p> </p><p>                What started as a murmur suddenly erupted into a sea of noise as the mass of voices, no longer obscured by the now open doors, were now blaring at me full force. Try as I could to enter quietly, my efforts were embarrassingly futile for, as soon as I had snuck my way into this large, noise-filled room – in fact, a high-ceilinged foyer, about two or three stories tall – the wall of chatter dissipated, and a crowd of confused faces fell squarely on me.</p><p> </p><p>                If I had to make a quick guess, it was a little over a dozen or so people. Just as I was about to say something though, my focus lapsed, as something - a certain gangly oddball, to be precise - came crashing into me from behind…I hope he’s stopped bleeding everywhere, at least.</p><p>                “Oh, uh...hi!” Takuji meekly cheered.</p><p> </p><p>                Shaking myself back to my sense, I turned back to the crowd assembled in the foyer and, in a split second, I suddenly became highly conscious of being the object of everyone’s intense gazes. Not wanting to stand out for too much longer, I slowly made my way towards the crowd very sheepishly.</p><p>                As fuzzy as my head was earlier, specific memories were gradually starting to return to me as I begun taking in each sceptical face that was now staring in my direction: memories of a loud-mouthed girl with a mane as vibrant as bubblegum; memories of a towering, touchy-feely blonde guy in a ridiculously elaborate, baroque-style jacket; and, perhaps most sharply, memories of a prim and proper girl with a visage of utter determination.</p><p> </p><p>                A determined girl with lilac hair.</p><p> </p><p>                “M-Mayoko…Etsuko?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>                Ding dong, dong ding!</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p><em>“This is an important announcement from the executive office of the Hope’s P- ah, screw it! I’m bored of this charade, so everybody just get to the lounge, m’kay? The lounge will be highlighted on the map application of your Student Handbooks. See you all shortly!</em> <em>”</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And hello, everybody!</p><p>I've been pushing this project back for so long now that I've started to get too comfortable with saying "maybe next week". That ends now though, as it feels like there's nothing to light a fire under my butt like a constant impending deadline. Yay, pressure!</p><p>Anyway, welcome to Danganronpa 24 - an OC Killing Game, devised as a joint venture between myself and my dear friend Albany, with creative assistance provided by Aceofspadescosplay (another of our dear friends). It's a pretty self-explanatory concept: sixteen original characters thrown into a Killing Game, calamity ensues (I never said it was original).</p><p>Anyway, this was just a fun little idea, inspired by the sheer insanity of V3's ending because, let's be real, what better fanfic fuel could there be than 49 unseen Killing Games, all ripe for the picking? One thing that Albany and I thought would be an interesting concept try out would be alternating protagonists, each with their own perspective on the events that transpire here in this icy Killing Game. It won't necessarily be a case of each chapter swapping back and forth, but if a changeover could provide an interesting change of pace, then it'll be switcheroo time. Whenever you see a quick little bit of script at the top, saying Side: whoever, this will indicate who is currently in the pilot's seat.</p><p>Also, something I thought could be a fun touch is including VA suggestions within the character introductions, in case you want to try for a little extra immersion. You're perfectly welcome to ignore the suggestions I offer and go with your own headcanons, but I thought it could be fun to show who we had in mind when devising this story. Further clarification to be listed in notes at the bottom, in case none of you are familiar with said casting choices.</p><p>I probably shouldn't ramble for too long, so enjoy this first part of the prologue, which will continue this coming Sunday. I'm looking to make this a weekly upload, every Sunday, though breaks may ensue now and then because life is a messy mistress.</p><p>Also, this series will also be publishing on Albany's WattPad, "UrghOmg", so if that's your platform of choice, feel free to drop her a follow there.</p><p>-----</p><p>Cast Suggestion Details:</p><p>Jiro Kurosawa, Ultimate Editor<br/>Cripsin Freeman, in the style of Kyon (The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya)</p><p>Mayoko Etsuko, *talent to be revealed next time*<br/>Tracey Rooney, in the style of Chie (Persona 4 [PS2 release])</p><p>Takuji Anzai, *talent to be revealed soon*<br/>Sam Riegel, in the style of Mephisto (Blue Exorcist)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Prologue: Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Side: Mayoko</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                 A sense of weightless non-belonging - it was hard to describe my current predicament as anything but. I couldn’t recall exactly what brought me to this point, but that’s all that I could really say.</p><p>Suddenly, out of that nothingness, a low rumbling sound became audible to me. It started off as little more than a whisper, until eventually, it was enough to drown out all thought; as if something were approaching me through the endless void.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Ding!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                 As suddenly as it had appeared, the rumbling had ceased, and my eyes flickered open. I was a little caught off guard at first, as the first thing I could see was a stinging white light. A cold, hard sensation ran up my back, so it seemed as though I was lying on the ground.</p><p> </p><p>                 “What the...” I muttered, still far too groggy to really understand what was happening. “Where on Earth am I?”</p><p> </p><p>                 I pulled myself to my feet, brushing myself down to neaten my otherwise pristine blue uniform, before proceeding towards a nearby reflective surface to get back some sense of belonging. I stared into the polished metal I found and saw myself staring back - with those pale turquoise eyes and lilac hair, there was no question it was me.</p><p> </p><p>                 My name is...Mayoko Etsuko. I’m a second-year high schooler and...well, that’s all I can really say, for now.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Mayoko Etsuko</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Tracey Rooney)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                 It wasn’t much to go on, but it was a start. I stepped back from the reflective surface - which, upon closer inspection, appeared to be some kind of mechanical double door - and began to look around my new surroundings, hoping to find something else.</p><p> </p><p>                 An enclosed square room: it was fairly spacious - spacious enough, at least, that it took me six extended paces to cross - but it still gave me an uncomfortable feeling of being boxed in. The intense ceiling light, which had helped to awaken me, filled every corner. Wherever I was, I would need to seek a way out soon, I’d decided. I just needed to remember how I got here.</p><p> </p><p>                 Vague recollections of seemingly distant events melted across my subconsciousness, but nothing took concrete shape. The only consistent factor across all these transient images was a destination that I was heading towards – an endpoint, so to speak.</p><p>                 Actually, no - to be more accurate, it was more of a beginning point. A place where I could finally find a place for myself in this wild world. I instinctively reached into my jacket pocket to extract a clean, white envelope, looking intently at the crimson seal that once held it shut - the seal of Hope’s Peak Academy.</p><p> </p><p>                 It was at that moment that things started to fall into place and the distorted memories began to solidify. I could remember standing outside the front gate, a feeling of apprehension rooting me to the spot; the contents of my invitation letter still fixed in my mind.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Our talent scouts have determined that you are eligible to attend, in recognition of your talents as the Ultimate Police Officer.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>                 That’s right. I had received the letter in the post one otherwise uneventful morning and, after reading it, and the attached supplemental documents, over and over, thus began the most intense month of my life. I doubled down on all my duties and scoured the official Hope’s Peak message boards for all the relevant information that would help me in the coming years.</p><p>                 All of that preparation eventually led me to the front gates of Hope’s Peak. I was ready to put all of my hard work and preparation to the test; ready to prove that their faith in my abilities was well placed. I stepped across the school’s threshold and...</p><p> </p><p>                 That’s where everything just ended.</p><p> </p><p>                 Like the black screen at the end of a movie, my memories just cut off. The next thing that I remembered was waking up here, but where even was here?</p><p> </p><p>                 This didn’t appear to be the entrance hall of Hope’s Peak Academy. In fact, this didn’t really look like any kind of entrance hall. The mechanical grating and tiled floor were much more reminiscent of an elevator than any entrance hall I’d ever seen, but that just begged further questions about how I got here and where here even was.</p><p> </p><p>                 “C’mon, Mayoko, think,” I told myself calmly, starting to pace up and down. “There’s gotta be something that you missed; something that might explain what’s going on.”</p><p> </p><p>                 I stopped briefly to consider a small control panel, set beside the door. It wasn’t unusual to see something like this in an elevator, but the buttons were a little peculiar: starting with (B), then moving up through (1), (2) and (3), before jumping straight to (6). A little idiosyncratic, to be sure.</p><p> </p><p>                 I considered whether or not it would be a good idea to try pushing a button and hoping for the best, but I restrained myself from doing so. I’d only just woken up, and had no idea where I was, so taking chances like that probably wouldn’t be a smart move. I saw that the currently lit button was (2), so that was enough of a starting point for now.</p><p> </p><p>                 My concentration was broken as a blinking light popped up in my field of vision, just above the door that I had been looking into earlier. I could hear clicking sounds within the door, so I braced myself, expecting them to open in any moment. The moment it did...</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Kthnk!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                 “Hey! What the fu - “</p><p> </p><p>                 The moment the doors opened, I found myself falling backwards, with a sharp pain in my forehead - something had collided with me, hard, knocking me back down again. Judging by the shout just then, it had to be another person.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Oh God, I’m so sorry,” I swiftly apologised, rising back to my feet to greet whoever it was.</p><p> </p><p>                 Sure enough, as I glanced ahead of me, I came face to face with the speaker - a girl with an enormous mess of hair, pink as bubblegum; and vibrant magenta eyes, filled with shock and confusion.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Uhhh...”</p><p> </p><p>                 She still seemed to be a little surprised by our collision just then - I was still a little taken aback myself, truthfully - so I took the initiative and tried to get things moving forward.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Hello there,” I began, offering my gloved hand to help her up. “Sorry to startle you like that. Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>                 Not a single word. She stared at my hand apprehensively, rubbing her forehead - clearly, she was just as lost and confused as I was. I supposed that this was as good a time as any for introductions.</p><p> </p><p>                 “My name’s Mayoko - Mayoko Etsuko. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Uhuh!” she sighed, carefully reaching out for the hand I offered her. I guess that’s a start.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Anyway, do you know anything about what’s going on here? I’ve just woken up myself, so I was wondering if - “</p><p> </p><p>                 “Wait, you were taking a nap in there?” the girl cut in, sceptically raising an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>                 I suppose it was an unusual thing to admit to, right off the bat. She seemed to be eyeing me up very cautiously, so I figured that honesty would be the best way to build trust.</p><p>                 “I...I guess I must have been. My apologies, I’m still a little bit confused - not exactly sure how I got here.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Just taking a big old nap, in the middle of an elevator?”</p><p> </p><p>                 I just said that, yes. It was an odd detail to fixate on, for sure, but something seemed a little different with her tone - where, before, there was outright suspicion, now I could detect the faintest hint of...was that amusement?</p><p>                 “That’s pretty weird! Mind if I scooch on in?”</p><p> </p><p>                 It was a bit of a strange question to ask, given how spacious the elevator was in the first place, but she proceeded to just walk in anyway. She stopped by the control panel and absentmindedly pressed one of the buttons.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Hey, wait!” I shouted, perhaps a bit too forcefully.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Geez, what’s your childhood trauma?!” the girl gasped haughtily.</p><p> </p><p>                 Sure, I overreacted a little, but was she not thinking straight? There’s no telling where this elevator could take us, but she just waltzes in and presses a button at random.</p><p>                 I braced myself, expecting the elevator to seal itself and start moving again - to my surprise, however, nothing of the sort happened. No movement, the doors were still ajar, nothing. The impulsive girl seemed just as bemused as I did and started hammering away on the buttons at random. In the end, still nothing.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Damn it, it’s busted!” she groaned, pounding her fist on the wall. “I thought I might be able to get somewhere, but nope - just a useless hunk of junk.”</p><p> </p><p>                 She then fell against the wall of the elevator, sliding down it, with a disappointed groan. Though it was nice to have some company, I had to wonder if I could’ve hoped for someone less carefree.</p><p>                 Still, something about this girl was giving me a curious feeling. It might’ve just been my imagination, but I had an inkling that I had seen that mass of bubblegum-like hair somewhere before. Her clothes too - an emerald tank top, diagonally bifurcated by a red and white sash pattern; white pleated skirt and matching thigh high socks and sneakers - also rung familiar.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Excuse me,” I started, hoping to break the ice a little more. “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe I got your name earlier.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Huh?! Oh, yeah. The name’s Susuko Kamei: I know, it’s nice to meet me.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Susuko Kamei</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Jamie Marchi)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                 A rather conceited way of introducing oneself.</p><p>                 Susuko Kamei, huh? I couldn’t say that it was a name that I was all too familiar with, but I still couldn’t shake that feeling that I’d met, or at least seen, her somewhere before. My brain was a spiralling mess right now, so I pushed the thought to the back of my mind, for now.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Anyway, Susuko, would you be able to tell me what you’ve found so far? Like, do you have any idea what this place is, or how you got here? The more you can share, the better.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Well, aren’t you nosy!” she sneered. “Who says it’s any of your business?”</p><p> </p><p>                 I’m not exactly sure what I did to deserve the confrontational attitude, but I got the impression that she was trying to test me. I kept on staring and, eventually, she threw her head back and let out an annoyed groan.</p><p>                 “Hrgh, fine! I woke up downstairs somewhere, in some kinda big lobby-like place. No idea how I got here, or what the heck’s going on though, so don’t bother asking.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “I see. It was pretty much the same for me, more or less. Thank you, Susuko.”</p><p> </p><p>                 Short and to the point. A little more detail would have been nice, but, given the situation, I can understand her apprehension - we’d only just met each other, after all. Still, I didn’t see any harm in prying a little further.</p><p>                 “Have you managed to find anyone else yet?” I continued, trying to keep my tone encouraging.</p><p> </p><p>                 “If I did, I’d probably be hanging out with them right now,” she shot back longingly. “Would be nice to have some decent conversation.”</p><p> </p><p>                 Well, okay then. I understand feeling apprehensive, but that was rather dismissive. She’s gonna be a bit of a tough nut to crack, I feel. Then again, I guess that was gonna be pretty par for the course, going forward. If I really am to be the Ultimate Police Officer, then I should probably get used to troublesome people sooner or -</p><p> </p><p>                 Wait! A thought then suddenly occurred to me, as if I’d been struck by lightning. Why hadn’t it occurred to me sooner? Something about this girl seemed eerily familiar, the moment I laid eyes on her, but it wasn’t until now that the dots connected in my mind.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Susuko!” I exclaimed, perhaps a little louder than necessary.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Hrgh, what now?!”</p><p> </p><p>                 Whatever complaint she had would have to wait - my bolt of inspiration wouldn’t be stopped now, as I thrust my hand into my jacket pocket, ready to pull out the invitation letter lying within. It was a bit of a long shot, but if my hunch was correct, it was worth a chance.</p><p> </p><p>                 “I was just wondering if you knew anything about - “</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Kreeeeeek!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                 Somewhere, nearby, a loud creaking sound echoed around, just outside of the elevator. It was hard to tell how far away it was, given that the view outside the elevator was rather limited, but it was unmistakably the sound of a door opening.</p><p>                 Curiously enough, however, the doors that I’d spotted behind Susuko, when she first appeared, were still clearly shut. Whatever door had opened, it must have been down in this ‘lobby-like place’ that Susuko had mentioned.</p><p> </p><p>                 “That sounds like someone else,” I gasped, turning to face the elevator exit. “We should go and see who it is.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Wait, why?” Susuko complained - wasn’t she the one asking for better company? Seems odd to shy away now.</p><p> </p><p>                 The hallway outside was rather foreboding: high ceiled, with oak-panelled walls; and a rather unearthly feeling that I was being watched from somewhere. In front of me was a set of sturdy wooden doors - a quick twist of the handle confirmed it to be locked tight – and, to either side, were stairs leading down, curving around the outside of a vast, brick-lined column – no doubt the elevator shaft within which I had awoken.</p><p> </p><p>                 “I said wait, damn it!”</p><p> </p><p>                 As soon as Susuko had set foot outside of the elevator, it’s heavy, metallic doors swiftly sealed shut. Once fully closed, a low, rumbling sound indicated that it had begun to descend.</p><p> </p><p>                 “No, don’t just close on me!” Susuko moaned frustratedly, banging her fists against the now closed elevator door. “Argh, stupid useless piece of - ”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Ohoh! Who goes there?!”</p><p> </p><p>                 A sharp voice cut Susuko off mid complaint. It was masculine, noticeably accented and seemed to be coming from the other side of the central elevator shaft. Whoever had just walked in must have been pretty taken aback just now at Susuko’s outburst.</p><p> </p><p>                 With the elevator gone, and the prospect of a suspicious stranger waiting for us, just out of sight, I took a deep breath and began to make my way down the stairs, leading around the left-hand side of the elevator - no choice now but to move forward.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Aha! I see that my assumption was correct: we are greeted with a new compatriot!”</p><p> </p><p>                 The speaker was a tall, firmly built boy, stood resolutely in the middle of the wide-open floor below. As I slowly descended the last few stairs in front of me, I started to take in more details of the young man’s appearance: slicked back blonde hair, tied back into a neat ponytail; European militaristic uniform, with several medals sparkling iridescently upon his chest - everything about his pristine form, combined with his powerful voice, belied an individual with immense presence.</p><p>                 Said presence was only compounded by the petite girl stood to his left- with crimson hair, done up in four neat tails, and dressed in resplendent shrine maiden robes, she had an almost doll-like air to her that was quite stiff, yet endearing.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Guten morgen, Frӓulein!” the blonde boy spoke, his accent suave and refined, as he bowed towards Susuko and I. The petite girl offered up a meek little wave and a radiant smile.</p><p> </p><p>                 Approaching them cautiously, I started to take in my surroundings for the first time and found myself awestruck by the sheer oddity of the place.</p><p> </p><p>                 The cavernous room appeared to be some kind of vast atrium; brick walls, supported by dark, oaken timbers, towered three stories above us in all directions; a striking carpet of two tone black and white, bordered by red fur lining, dominated most of the floor; and that vast brick-lined column - no doubt the elevator shaft in which I had awoken - stood proud and steadfast in the middle, with stairs winding around both sides to the opening where Susuko had found me.</p><p>                 As I turned back to face the blonde boy and the petite girl, I noticed that they appeared framed by a delicate wooden archway that led into another high-ceilinged room – that must be the lobby that Susuko woke up in, judging by the check-in desk and the…formidable metal bulkhead door? That doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the décor.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Fraulein?”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Huh!”  I gasped. “Oh, right. I’m sorry about that. I’m Mayoko Etsuko and this is - “</p><p> </p><p>                 “Susuko Kamei! I‘m sure it’s a pleasure to meet me,” Susuko interrupted, barging past me and flipping her hair with a brash sense of swagger – that introduction really isn’t as good as you think it is, Susuko. Blitzfeld, unfazed, leaned past her and reached out with his gloved hand to greet me with a shockingly firm handshake.</p><p> </p><p>                 “A pleasure, indeed, Frӓulein Etsuko. I was beginning to worry that there wasn’t anybody else here...er, wherever here is. It is quite the strange set of circumstances, is it not, Kotona?”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Y-yes, it’s all quite unnerving, I must say,” the petite girl added, bashfully stepping forward - so her name is Kotona, I see. “I’m glad to see so many warm faces, otherwise I’m...I’m not sure what I’d do with myself.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Ja, it is all most disconcerting, but fear not, mein friends, for you now find yourselves in the presence of the one and only Ultimate Conductor. I, Blitzfeld Stangeberg, will see us through this mystery most malign, and that is a promise.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Blitzfeld Stangeberg</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Conductor</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Chris Hackney)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                 “Ultimate Conductor? What, like electricity conductor?” Susuko scoffed, snorting with derisive laughter. “What a dumb talent! Who ordered the human lightning rod?!”</p><p> </p><p>                 “No, I think he means orchestra conductor,” I replied succinctly, pretty comfortable in my knowledge that an electrical conductor wasn’t even something a person could be, before turning back to Blitzfeld.</p><p> </p><p>                 Indeed, now that I’d gotten a closer look at him, vivid memories came flooding back to me of discussions on the Hope’s Peak message boards - excited chatter of a German musical prodigy that had already built quite a worldwide reputation for someone so young. Recalling this, I suddenly found myself just a little more trepidatious of his presence here.</p><p> </p><p>                 “That’s quite the prominent talent, Blitzfeld,” I continued. “You must have seen a fair amount of the world in your performances then, I can imagine.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Indeed, indeed!” he proudly concurred. “It would probably be easier at this point to list the concert venues I have not visited: Prague, London, Sydney, Tokyo...many fine cities that I have had the honour of delivering wonderful music to. Why, I can just close my eyes and the roar of the applause comes back to me so vividly...”</p><p> </p><p>                 As he relayed his story, Blitzfeld appeared to enter some kind of grand meditative stance; eyes closed, with his index finger placed on his left temple, whilst miming the motions of a conductor’s baton with his free hand. Though I could appreciate the passion that he clearly had for his craft, the intensity with which Blitzfeld held himself was almost unnerving - his silent conducting continued for a fair while after he finished speaking.</p><p>                 As he came to a halt, the atrium remained silent, almost as if in awe of Blitzfeld’s silent performance. Looking around, I could see wide eyed amazement in Kotona’s eyes and confused discontent in Susuko’s - I guess not everyone’s a fan.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Woah! That’s such a magnificent story, Blitzfeld,” Kotona uttered, nervously fiddling with her sleeves. “I, uh...I feel kinda humbled just standing here....in your presence...”</p><p> </p><p>                 Laying it on a little thick, don’t you think, Kotona? Perhaps noticing it herself, she quickly brushed some strands of hair behind her ear, eyes fixed on the floor.</p><p>                 “Oh, sorry! Lost my train of thought for a second. I, uh...tell us about yourself, Mayoko - oh, and Susuko, of course! Sorry, I didn’t mean to forget you, I...”</p><p> </p><p>                 “It’s alright, Kotona,” I cut in, eager to calm the situation before Susuko said something untoward, if her aggrieved gasp was anything to go by. “Everyone else calls me the Ultimate Police Officer, but - “</p><p> </p><p>                 “A police officer, you say?!” Blitzfeld cut in, eyebrow cocked and tone suddenly serious. The shift was quite stark, and I found myself compelled to continue the conversation, if only to alter the mood.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Well, almost - once I’ve graduated, I’ll be fully qualified.”</p><p> </p><p>                 I had barely finished my sentence before all pretence of seriousness in Blitzfeld’s gaze was replaced with enraptured awe.</p><p>                 “What good fortune that we should come across someone vith such moral fibre. Such blessings fall upon us.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Uh, Blitzfeld, it’s really not - “</p><p> </p><p>                 “For a moment, I was concerned that I would have to shoulder the burden of leadership alone, but with you here, Frӓulein Etsuko, I can see nothing but excellent tidings in our future.”</p><p> </p><p>                 It was quite the sudden rush of joy and, as I turned towards Kotona for some kind of agreed bemusement, she playfully whispered: “It seems like he, uh, does that a lot.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Well I wouldn’t say it’s a blessing - I just feel compelled to help people, so I just want to make sure everyone’s safe,” I added earnestly, trying to bring Blitzfeld down from his euphoric high. “Oh, and what about you, Kotona? Sorry, I forgot to ask earlier.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “No, it’s ok. I, uh...” Kotona replied, nervously glancing towards Susuko who, out of the corner of my eye, I could see was glaring indignantly at us after being cut off again - I should apologise to her later.</p><p> </p><p>                 “You probably wouldn’t believe it, but they call me the Ultimate Spirit Medium. Oh, and my full name is Kotona Oshi - it’s a pleasure to meet you.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Kotona Oshi</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Spirit Medium</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Deva Marie Gregory)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                 After introducing herself, Kotona gave a delicate bow.</p><p>                 Now, although I had certainly remembered seeing her name pop up in discussions on the Hope’s Peak message boards, I was a little unsure what to think at the time - spirituality and mysticism were a little outside of my wheelhouse, so what could I have really added to the conversation?</p><p> </p><p>                 “Don’t worry, it’s not as occultic as it might sound – the work of mediums is mostly dedicated to funerary rites and dedications...although I was able to commune with a restless spirit one time and, let me tell you something, it was quite the unner - “</p><p> </p><p>                 “Blah blablah blah blah, enough about your boring talents and more about something that matters - namely, me!”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Uh, Susuk - “</p><p> </p><p>                 “You plebes think you’ve got talent, but I bet you wouldn’t even know real talent if it came up and bit ya on the ass! Who cares about stuffy concert halls and graveyards when you could be like me - the Ultimate Cheerleader - and have thirsty crowds begging for ya every other night? Honestly, if you guys are the biggest competition, I’ll be the coolest person here hands down!”</p><p> </p><p>                 By the time that Susuko had finished, the atrium was once again silent, but unlike with Blitzfeld, this silence was just downright awkward - Blitzfeld was so stony-faced that you could be forgiven for thinking that he might be a statue; and Kotona’s eyes were glancing around the floor as she scuffed the ground with her geta.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Oh, y-yeah!” she started cautiously, perhaps eager to fill the silence. “I bet you probably have...uh, lots of fun stories too, Susuko...“</p><p> </p><p>                 “So, what do you suppose brings us all here?” Blitzfeld cut in. “Last I recalled, I was invited to a prestigious school, so the question is...how did we get here? Actually, ‘where is here?’, would be a much more effective question.”</p><p> </p><p>                 He certainly brought up a good point - judging by everyone who was here right now, all of us were Ultimate Students who had been invited to attend Hope’s Peak Academy.</p><p>                 All of us had been expecting to spend the next three years refining our talents and making important connections that would aid us later in life, but this place - wherever and whatever it was - was certainly not Hope’s Peak Academy.</p><p> </p><p>                 “I’m not too sure,” I started. “But if we take the time to explore our surroundings, I’m sure we’ll be able to work out what’s going on.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “A most excellent suggestion, Frӓulein Etsuko. Indeed, it is likely that we are not the only ones here, so it would be most diligent of us to explore our surreptitious surroundings.</p><p>                 “As you can see, we appear to be in some kind of large central atrium, with doors on all sides - at the very least, it seems that we are not short of options.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Well, uh, not exactly,” Kotona interrupted. “I mean, the large metal doors behind us don’t seem to want to budge and this - uh, I’m guessing it’s an elevator - that doesn’t seem to be of much use either.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Also, there’s a pair of doors at the back that’re stuck like a bitch,” Susuko added forcefully, no doubt referring to the doorway at the top of the landing.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Ah, so it seems we are pretty limited then,” Blitzfeld sighed. “Ah well, no matter, no matter...if I’m right, that still leaves us one good door to our right.”</p><p> </p><p>                 Blitzfeld gestured vigorously to his right - my left - indicating a strong set of oaken double doors. Out of curiosity, I’d noticed that there appeared to be an identical set of doors on the opposite side of the atrium, which I’d clearly overlooked when coming down into the atrium.</p><p>                 Before I had any time to contemplate it further, I became aware of a towering shape over me - Blitzfeld had stepped forward and was looking down at me expectantly.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Fraulein Etsuko: if Kotona and myself were to stay here, would you be able to direct anyone you find back this way? It vould be prudent for us all to stick together after all - strength in numbers, ja?”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Of course,” I concurred optimistically. If it was true that there were more of us scattered around the school, it was only right that we should gather as soon as possible. After all, as the Ultimate Police Officer, it really did fall to me to make sure that we were all safe.</p><p> </p><p>                 This was most definitely a highly unusual situation, but I felt confident that - as eccentric as he could be at times - with people like Blitzfeld around, I would be well prepared for whatever we might face here.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Wunderbar, wunderbar! And, uh...Frӓulein Kamei...”</p><p> </p><p>                 And at this point, Blitzfeld turned to address Susuko directly, which seemed to catch her off guard, judging by the sudden jolt she gave.</p><p>                 “If you would be able to...uh, accompany Frӓulein Etsuko, that would be helpful too.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Me? Why do I have to go?” Susuko complained, perhaps a bit too indignantly for my liking.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Because surely, someone vith your...expertise would make an excellent travelling companion for Frӓulein Etsuko. Indeed, I feel that you would do an outstanding job of driving people awa - uh, driving people towards us. You understand my reasoning, ja?”</p><p> </p><p>                 For a moment, it seemed as though Susuko was trying to come up with any kind of reason possible for turning down Blitzfeld’s request. Eventually, she let out a relented sigh and turned towards the door.</p><p>                 “Fine, I guess I can go with her.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Thank you, Susuko,” I replied, happy that I would at least have some company as I made my way around this mysterious building. “It’ll be better if we stick together.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Yeah, we should probably just get going then, shouldn’t we? I’m sure there’s plenty of people waiting for us to find them and all.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Danke schoen, mein newest friends, and take care.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Good luck, you two.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                 “Man, what a pair of total whack jobs?!”</p><p> </p><p>                 Susuko and I had just passed through the double doors into the hallway that lay beyond and, almost as soon as the doors sealed shut, Susuko had started on a small tirade against our newfound company.</p><p> </p><p>                 “I mean, can you believe the pomposity of that guy?! I mean ‘I, Blitzfeld Stangeberg, vill see us through this mystery most malign, and that is a promise’...what a load of bullshit! I bet that isn’t even his real accent - probably puts it on to sound more exotic and manly.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Mm-hm.” I grunted non-committedly - as much as I disagreed with her snide commentary, I understood better than to cause a scene by calling her out.</p><p> </p><p>                 “And don’t even get me started on Little Miss Ghostbuster - as if there’s even such a thing as ‘Ultimate Spirit Medium’! Load of spooky mumbo jumbo if you ask me.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Mm-hm.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Complete pair of nuttos...anyway, why the hell you so interested in trying to become a police officer?”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Mm-hm...wait, sorry, what?”</p><p> </p><p>                 It took me a second to realise what Susuko had just asked me, but when it did, my brains hit the deck.</p><p> </p><p>                 “You heard me,” Susuko continued, letting out a wry smirk as she stared me down. “Like, seriously, it just doesn’t make sense - you don’t exactly strike me as the bossy type and you don’t seem like enough of an egghead to be in it for the aca...the academa...uh, you know what I mean.</p><p>                 “Like, not for nothing, sistah, with a build like yours, you’d probably make a damn fine cheerleader yourself...I mean, nowhere near my level but, let’s be real for a sec, who is? I’m telling ya - “</p><p> </p><p>                 Susuko continued, no doubt rattling off her countless accomplishments as a cheerleading prodigy, but I was still transfixed on her question which started this all - a piercing question that rattled me more than I could’ve possibly expected.</p><p> </p><p>                 Why did I want to become a police officer?</p><p> </p><p>                 Truth be told it’s a question that a lot of people have asked me and I can’t really blame them - I don’t exactly seem like the type, at first glance, that would be in line to play the whole ‘good cop/bad cop’ role, but that never really mattered to me.</p><p>                 In my heart, becoming a police officer is the only thing I’ve ever truly wanted to do and the reason...I, uh...I don’t know if I’m ready to tell anyone yet. Just the thought of recounting that moment...</p><p> </p><p>                 “Hellooooooo, Earth to Mayucko!”</p><p> </p><p>                 I gasped sharply, coming back to my senses in an instant to find Susuko still up in my face, her wry smirk replaced with a sceptical glare.</p><p> </p><p>                 “You totes just spaced out on me!” she said accusingly. “That’s not a good look, you know – spacing out on your new bestie. What’s the deal?”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Oh, uh, I’m sorry,” I muttered. “Just a little lost in thought...”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Yeah, yeah, whatevs!” Susuko scoffed, turning her back on me again. “Anyway, I think I can hear somebody down the hall.”</p><p> </p><p>                 Stopping to concentrate, I could definitely make out what sounded like a voice further down the hallway. I couldn’t quite make out any details of whatever it was saying, but I could just about tell that it belonged to a guy.</p><p>                 As I made my further down the hallway, Susuko close behind, we eventually found ourselves facing a flight of stairs to our right. Nothing really out of the ordinary about it, but it did give us a clear line of sight to the speaker - halfway up the stairs was the boy in question. His focus appeared to be diverted, as he was deep in conversation with another person further up the stairs; this voice however was fainter and seemed to belong to a girl.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Th-there’s not m-much up here,” the girl’s voice trembled. “Nothing b-b-but a long l-line of doors...”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Nothing but doors, huh?” he muttered bemusedly. “What a strange building this is.”</p><p> </p><p>                 The boy didn’t appear to have noticed us just yet, so I decided that now would be as good a time as any to break the ice.</p><p>“Hello!”</p><p> </p><p>                 A fumbling noise could be heard just up the stairs as whoever the boy was talking to seemed to stumble and trip. The boy winced a little in reaction before turning to Susuko and I, allowing us to get a better look at him as he came down the stairs towards us.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Oh! Looks like more people,” he gasped cheerfully. “Uh, hi!”</p><p> </p><p>                 If I had to describe him in one word, it would probably have to be...plain? Not in a demeaning or dismissive way, of course, but every inch of him was just that - his messy turquoise hair, his short-sleeved olive hoodie, his calm expression; everything just screamed ordinary, and I wasn’t really sure what else to add.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Is everything alright?” I asked, stepping towards him as he came level with us. “Is there anybody else up there?”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Yeah, we’re ok,” he started, scratching the back of his head. “Just a bit confused about what’s going on - like, where even are we?”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Truthfully, we’re not too sure ourselves. I’m Mayoko Etsuko, an - “</p><p> </p><p>                 “And I’M Susuko Kamei!” Susuko said smugly. “Who the heck’s hiding up there? She your girlfriend, or is she just so ugly she doesn’t wanna show her face?”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Susuko!” I scolded. “I’m sorry about her - she can be a bit...uh, brash.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “It’s okay,” the plain boy replied, his voice jumping up a noticeable octave as blood rushed to his cheeks. “She’s not my girlfriend: I just met her when I woke up, that’s all.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Wh-who’s there?”</p><p> </p><p>                 The voice from upstairs started again, carrying a highly nervous tone. As I turned upwards to face the new speaker, I was taken aback by the sheer contrast between her and the plain boy.</p><p>                 She looked as though she had stepped out of a gothic manga; with stunning knee length black hair, pulled behind her shoulders and punctuated by several crimson streaks; capped off with a top hat-styled fascinator. The rest of her attire - from her leather jacket to her striped red and black thigh high socks - was just as visually striking; yet her expression was solemn and uneasy.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Do y-you know wh-what’s going on? Are you two, uh...are you the s-same as us?”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Lost and confused? Duh! Of course we are!” Susuko shot back, moving towards the dark-haired girl fiercely.</p><p> </p><p>                 “I think she means Ultimates, right?” I interrupted, holding up an arm to block Susuko, causing her to huff loudly. “I’m Mayoko Etsuko: Ultimate Police Officer, in training. I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m sure, if we stick together, we’ll be ok.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “No, i-it’s...it’s okay,” the dark-haired girl continued, brushing her fringe off of her face. “I’m C-Carolyn...Carolyn Vale: the Ultimate Pyrotech-technician. It’s, uh, it’s nice to m-meet you.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Carolyn Vale</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Pyrotechnician</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Trina Nishimura)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                 Carolyn immediately looked away once her introductions were done, her discomfort at the present situation clearly evident. Thinking back to the message boards, her name immediately stuck out to me - as Ultimate Pyrotechnician, Carolyn had already made built up quite an impressive portfolio of work.</p><p>                 Starting off with firework displays back in her home of the UK, she scored a once in a lifetime work experience opportunity with a notable studio in Japan, wherein  she began to make a rather large splash in the world of tokusatsu television.</p><p> </p><p>                 For someone so young, and so far from home, her eye for explosions and special effects was seen by many as prodigious...and yet, the timid girl before us seemed almost the exact opposite of what you’d expect of someone in that field. It was almost unnerving to contemplate.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Well, like I was telling shorty here,” Susuko snarked. “I’m Susuko Kamei and I’m the Ultimate Cheerleader! Pretty awesome, I know!”</p><p> </p><p>                 Judging by the way he rolled his eyes; the plain boy clearly didn’t think so.</p><p>                 “Well, I’m Gennai Nakada and, I guess, I’m this year’s Ultimate Lucky Student. I don’t really see how though - the only lucky thing that’s ever happened to me is getting into Hope’s Peak Academy.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Gennai Nakada</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Lucky Student</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Bryce Papenbrook)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                 Gennai gave a nonchalant smile as he finished speaking and I once again stopped to think - every year, Hope’s Peak Academy offered a nationwide lottery, the sole winner of which was granted entry to the academy as the so-called Ultimate Lucky Student, regardless of whether or not the selected student possessed a talent.</p><p>                 Indeed, Gennai appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be a perfectly average guy. Nothing was particularly wrong with that, of course, but it must’ve been quite odd for him to be scooped up out of the blue and surrounded by all sorts of extraordinary peers.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Lucky Student?! Pfft!” Susuko scoffed. “What a useless talent for a useless guy! Hey, I thought Hope’s Peak had standards.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Susuko, please!” I interrupted, hoping that Gennai wouldn’t take Susuko’s jab to heart. When I glanced across to him however, he didn’t appear to have much of a reaction - either he had incredibly thick skin or he just wasn’t paying attention.</p><p> </p><p>                 Seeing that he was alright, I turned my attention back to Carolyn who, I had distinctly noticed, appeared to be fidgeting slightly, her eyes bound to the floor.</p><p>                 “Are you okay?” I asked.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Huh? Oh, y-yeah, I’m o-okay,” Carolyn stammered, seemingly caught off-guard by my question. “Just a little, uh...it’s quite disc-concerting, being s-so far from home, t-to attend such a b-big prestigious s-school...it was strange, but, at l-least there, I knew where I was, but now, I-I-I don’t even...”</p><p> </p><p>                 Discomfort was starting to give way to panic as Carolyn’s speech increased in both speed and pitch as it went on. Eventually, she came to a halt and, after a deep inhalation, she seemed to regain her composure.</p><p>                 “I’m sorry. I didn’t m-mean to make y-you worry.”</p><p> </p><p>                 Though she appeared to have calmed down, I could still tell there was a great deal of turmoil in Carolyn’s heart, so I gently placed my hand upon her shoulder, hoping that it would somehow reassure her.</p><p>                 “It’s okay, Carolyn. Whatever’s happening, I’m sure it can be explained easily enough. I don’t know what’s going on any more than you do, but if we just stick it out a little longer, everything should start to make sense, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>                 At first, she still appeared to he troubled, but as she turned her head up to face me, her silver eyes meeting my turquoise, she eventually found the resolve to give me a faint smile and nodded back.</p><p>                 Once positive that Carolyn was feeling better, I relinquished my grip on her shoulder and stepped back to face her and Gennai together.</p><p>“Have the two of you found anything that can help us work out where we are?”</p><p> </p><p>                 After a brief pause while they stopped to think, it was Carolyn, surprisingly enough, who felt confident starting things off.</p><p>                 “I remember w-waking up in the h-hallway just up here,” she started trepidatiously, pointing upwards at the floor above us. “There doesn’t seem to b-be much there - just a long r-row of doors with f-faces on them...they’re kinda like p-pixel art, come to think of it...”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Doors with faces on them?!” Susuko interrupted curiously.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Yeah, I guess...I tried making my way d-downstairs and th-that’s when I met G-Gennai, and - ”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Oh, never mind that, I’ve gotta see these face doors!”</p><p> </p><p>                 Before Carolyn could even finish, Susuko had noisily barged past her, hurtling up the stairs with great speed and out of sight.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Susuko!” I called out, to no avail, before letting out an aggrieved sigh. “What about you, Gennai?”</p><p> </p><p>                 “I haven’t seen anything myself,” he replied causally, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just woke up on the stairs - got an awful pain in the neck for my troubles - so I just started exploring nearby. Not really much to look at, so I wandered upstairs, which is where I ran into Carolyn, and - “</p><p> </p><p>                 “OMG!”</p><p> </p><p>                 A loud, unexpected scream erupted from upstairs, causing Carolyn to trip up in shock, falling into a nearby wall.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Susuko!” I shouted, dashing upstairs towards the source of her scream, turning back briefly to Gennai, who was helping Carolyn back to her feet. “I’m sorry, I’ll be right back.”</p><p> </p><p>                 It didn’t take me to long to find Susuko, as I turned left at the top of the stairs and found her, eyes wide and jaw dropped, staring at one of a long line of doors in the hallway up ahead.</p><p>                 “What’s wrong?!” I asked impatiently.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Someone made a crappy drawing of me!” Susuko shot back, sounding incredibly scandalised.</p><p> </p><p>                 Indeed, upon the oaken door in front of her, a simplistic pixel art drawing of Susuko’s face hung there. Despite the blockiness, the resemblance was uncanny, especially the large mess of pink that was her hair.</p><p>                 As I glanced down the hallway, I could make out a number of other placards upon the other doors, all bearing a similar picture. However, none of the faces were immediately familiar to me upon first glance - it wasn’t until taking a closer look that I took notice of placards that resembled Kotona and Carolyn.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Oh! Y-Yeah, now th-that you mention it, it does kinda...” Carolyn agreed, before mysteriously trailing off. “Hey, Mayoko! This one, it...it s-sort of looks like y-you.”</p><p> </p><p>                 Turning back to Carolyn, I paced back up the hallway and stopped at the door sat to the right of Susuko’s and, just as Carolyn had stated, a pixel art drawing of my own face greeted me. Despite the lack of detail, it was definitely my face, right down to the funny little strand of hair that poked out of the top of my head, no matter how hard I tried to brush it down.</p><p>                 Whoever made all these placards appeared to be intimately familiar with us, causing an uneasy knot to form in my stomach.</p><p>                 “I wonder...”</p><p> </p><p>                 “All of these pictures look like girls,” Gennai stated inquisitively. “This could be some kind of dormitory hallway.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “You m-might be right,” Carolyn concurred. “Just h-h-how many of us are here?”</p><p> </p><p>                 Now was probably as good a time as any to bring Gennai and Carolyn up to speed on what we did know, so I pulled myself away from my pixelated effigy and turned to address them directly.</p><p>                 “So far, there’s the four of us; add to that the two people Susuko and I met before coming here; if we’re assuming that everyone in these pictures are here, then we’re looking at least ten of us.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Ten, huh? Th-That could get a b-b-bit...” Carolyn started, before tailing off, perhaps unsure of what to make of the possibility. “These other p-people you mentioned: where are they? Did they seem, uh, a-alright?”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Urgh, don’t get me started,” Susuko groaned. “One is a completely stuck up dickwad and the other is really quiet and dull, and...actually, you’ll probably be great friends with her.”</p><p> </p><p>                 All I could really do was let out a short sigh - was I getting used to Susuko and her attitude at this point?</p><p>                 “They’re both actually quite nice, from what I can tell,” I added. “They decided to wait back at the atrium - you guys should probably start heading there, unless you want to stay and help us find the others.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “No, it’s...it’s fine,” Carolyn replied. “If th-they seem a-alright to you, p-probably best for u-us to stay gathered in o-one place.”</p><p> </p><p>                 I nodded in firm agreement and proceeded back down the stairs with the others in tow.</p><p>                 “Okay, just keep following the hallway and you should find a pair of doors on your right,” I instructed. “I’m sure we’ll meet up again later.”</p><p> </p><p>                 “Yeah, it w-was...it was nice to meet you, M-Mayoko,” Carolyn responded bashfully, heading off towards the atrium.</p><p> </p><p>                 “Thanks, Mayoko,” Gennai added cheerfully, following close behind her. Eventually, the two of them had vanished from sight.</p><p> </p><p>                 It hadn’t quite hit me yet, but somehow, meeting Carolyn and Gennai had awakened within me a cold reality that I had been subconsciously putting off. The fact of the matter was that, yes, we were lost. Lost teenagers, stranded in the middle of nowhere, potentially unable to rely on anybody but ourselves.</p><p>                 Stop it, Mayoko! This kind of catastrophising is helping nobody. No matter what’s going on or where we are, the reality is we’re here now. Now is more important than ever to remember what you came to Hope’s Peak to do; the reason why you’re even here in the first place...</p><p> </p><p>                 And, as if on cue...</p><p>                 “How rude of them, not even thanking me for my help!” Susuko scoffed, throwing her arms up and behind her head.</p><p> </p><p>                 “To be fair, you were quite rude to them first,” I sternly reminded her. “Maybe if you acted a bit nicer, people might be more thankful.”</p><p> </p><p>                 I then turned around continued down the hallway, in the opposite direction from the others, and around a corner, just about catching Susuko’s follow up comment:</p><p>                 “I WAS nice!”</p><p> </p><p>                 As unnerving and potentially tumultuous as this situation was, it was something of a comfort to know that people like Susuko would be here to bring everything back to reality.</p><p>                 As rough as she could be at times.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The prologue continues! With Jiro having met up with the group, and a mysterious broadcast alerting them to an unseen third party, let's dial back the hands of time a little and catch up with our other protagonist: Ultimate Police Officer (in training), Mayoko Etsuko.</p><p>These next few parts will serve to introduce the remaining cast of the story, starting with the five we meet in this part and proceeding from there. We have a fair few people to get through, so this'll take a few parts, just so you all don't have to sift through one giant monolith of text. I try to be nice like that.</p><p>One of the fun things about writing a duo protagonist story like this is getting the chance to experiment with writing from different perspectives.m In the past, I have tried to write from a third person perspective, but it has proven quite difficult to tell a story from a neutral perspective - as it turns out, objectivity is BS and exploring specified viewpoints is much more fun.</p><p>-----</p><p>Cast Suggestion Details:</p><p>Susuko Kamei, Ultimate Cheerleader<br/>Jamie Marchi, in the style of Panty Anarchy (Panty &amp; Stocking with Garterbelt)</p><p>Blitzfeld Stangeberg, Ultimate Conductor<br/>Chris Hackney, in the style of Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)</p><p>Kotona Oshi, Ultimate Spirit Medium<br/>Deva Marie Gregory, in the style of Flayn (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)</p><p>Gennai Nakada, Ultimate Lucky Student<br/>Bryce Papenbrook, in the style of Rin Okumura (Blue Exorcist)<br/>[we couldn't resist having another olive-hoodied luckster voiced by Bryce, we're sorry]</p><p>Carolyn Vale, Ultimate Pyrotechnician<br/>Trina Nishimura, in the style of Mikasa Ackerman (Attack On Titan)</p><p>-----</p><p>Can you guess my newest gaming obsession from these cast suggestions? Trust me, there's more to come...hehehe.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Prologue: Part 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>                Continuing down the hallway, flanked on both sides by countless eclectic paintings, Susuko and I eventually found ourselves in a large, open room; with a large gap in the floor above, forming a kind of walkway around the upper level; and glass display cases sat in each corner, filled with assorted medals and trophies.</p><p>                Immediately, my eyes were drawn to a multicoloured shape in front of a case in the far-off corner, which, upon further inspection, turned out to be a person - a girl, to be precise, with two immense cyan twin tails. She appeared to be humming to herself as she perused the contents of the display case, perhaps not having noticed us yet.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hello there,” I greeted her, clearing my throat to catch her attention.</p><p> </p><p>                Upon catching sight of us in the reflection of the display case, her eyes became radiant and wide, a saccharine smile spreading across her face.</p><p>                “Oh, my, gosh!” she beamed. “Hi! Hello! How are ya?!”</p><p> </p><p>                For such a petite girl, she certainly made quite the strong impression - she’d barely said anything more than a greeting, but her presence was almost colossal. I was honestly taken a little aback.</p><p>                “Yes, uh, hi! We’re good,” I replied, just managing to cover my surprise. “Just a bit confused, as I’m sure we all are - “</p><p> </p><p>                “Ohmygod, hiiiiii! I just love your outfit!”</p><p> </p><p>                I couldn’t finish my sentence before being bowled out of the way by Susuko, who was now fawning over the cheerful girl, her voice jumping up an octave or two. It was rather startling to see Susuko squeeing like an overactive child, but it certainly made a difference from her usual snide demeanour.</p><p>                That being said, this newcomer’s outfit was certainly distinct - what appeared to be a pastel pink sailor uniform, with almost every inch of the collar covered in small decorative accessories. It was certainly quite the fashion statement - then again, people don’t dye their hair bright cyan to remain incognito, right?</p><p> </p><p>                “And I yours!” the cheerful girl replied. “The colours, the highlights, it’s just pops all over...oh, and don’t get me started on your hair, it’s just so...”</p><p> </p><p>                Fearing that we’d spend the rest of the day in an endless loop of peppiness if I left Susuko and the new girl to their own devices, I cleared my throat again to attract their attention. The cheerful girl gasped softly before turning back to me, Susuko puffing her cheeks out in annoyance.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, uh, soz about that,” the cheerful girl giggled. “Sometimes I get a little carried away when meeting new people.</p><p>                “But yeah, confusing’s definitely a good tag for this sitch. It’s like, hoo boy, this place has such a weird atmosphere, the lighting’s all messed up - it’s a really down n’ out aesthetic, ya know?”</p><p> </p><p>                “I know, right?” Susuko concurred. “Man, what I wouldn’t give to get the hell outta here!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yes, but it looks as though we can’t leave just yet, I’m afraid,” I solemnly reminded them, thinking back to that huge metal bulkhead in the lobby. “I’m Mayoko Etsuko, by the way. What’s your name?”</p><p> </p><p>                “OMG, your right, I completely forgot to introduce myself!” the cheerful girl responded, her enthusiasm tempered by a pinch of embarrassment.</p><p>                “I’m, uh, kinda used to people just knowing me right away, so I tend to cut right into the fun stuff in conversations.</p><p>                “I’m Chiba Aiji: the Ultimate Social Media Personality. We totes need to do a shoot together at some point.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Chiba Aiji</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Social Media Personality</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Brittney Karbowski)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                “OMG! I can’t believe I didn’t recognise you, my bad! I’m Susuko Kamei and I’m the Ultimate Cheerleader, obvs, and Mayucko here’s the Ultimate Traffic Warden or something - “</p><p> </p><p>                “Ultimate Police Officer, in training,” I interrupted sternly. “It’s nice to meet you, Chiba - I’m not really that into social media, so forgive me for not recognising you.”</p><p> </p><p>                Still, though I was unfamiliar with her work, it would be hard to deny that I wasn’t, at least, vaguely aware of her name - excited groups of high schoolers, grouchy older citizens, trend chasers all; the name of Chiba Aiji always seemed to be on the tips of people’s tongues. Now that I was face to face with the owner of said name, it was quite a strange feeling, being as out of the loop as I was.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, don’t beat yourself up about it,” Chiba cheerfully replied. “I try not to let my rep take up too much convo time - I don’t wanna seem like a conceited so and so, ya know?</p><p>                “But wowee - an Ultimate Police Officer AND Cheerleader?! You two have got to have some killer stories; we totes have to collab one day.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, you have no idea, Chiba!” Susuko interrupted, before launching into a lengthy recitation of her numerous achievements.</p><p> </p><p>                However, as Susuko bragged on and on, I started to notice something very odd about Chiba: though focused primarily on listening to Susuko, there were noticeable moments, though brief, where Chiba’s gaze would shoot upwards and behind us. If it were just once, it could’ve just been a coincidence, but with the frequency with which she was looking up, I was getting a very definite feeling that something was off…that Chiba was anticipating something.</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m telling ya, I’ve got so many amazing stories, you’ll hafta - “</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey!” I interjected, perhaps harder than intended, causing Susuko to gasp. “Um, sorry to interrupt, but what are you looking at, Chiba?”</p><p> </p><p>                Chiba attempted to feign ignorance with a pleasant grin, but, at this point, the ruse was up. I turned on the spot, Susuko with me, expecting to find some kind of shocking surprise - what, exactly, I wasn’t sure - only to find...nothing. The hallway behind us was as clear as it was earlier and the walkway above us was just as unsuspecting.</p><p>                Just what was up with all of Chiba’s upward glancing then? Was she doing it on purpose, expecting to get caught? Did she, perhaps, want us to look away?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Woosh...ktnk!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                No sooner had this thought entered my head, a sound of rushing air and a soft thump burst from behind us, in Chiba’s direction. Carefully, I turned back to face her and, as I did -</p><p> </p><p>                “What the fu-?!”</p><p> </p><p>                Susuko was the first to react, swearing loudly and losing her balance. I held out an arm to stop her from falling over and, as I did so, got a better look at the shocking sight that had caused Susuko’s alarm.</p><p>                Chiba was still in place, clearly struggling to hold in a lifetime’s worth of laughter, except, now, she wasn’t alone. Stood beside her was another new face - a smouldering girl, with lopsided wavy grey hair, standing head and shoulders taller than Chiba.</p><p> </p><p>                “Uh...hello?” I uttered bemusedly, seconds before Chiba lost all sense of composure, devolving into a state of euphoria, not unlike a hyena.</p><p> </p><p>                “OMG, that was priceless!” she cackled, clutching her sides hysterically. “You’re faces were so great, it was like - “</p><p>                Chiba pulled herself together long enough to mime a variety of exaggerated expressions of shock, before returning to her laughing fit.</p><p>                “Perfect clickbait, right, Hibari?”</p><p> </p><p>                “You know it, Chiba-darling,” the taller girl concurred, her voice low and husky. “So, Mayoko and Susuko, right? Sorry to just drop in like that - Chiba here seems to love a good prank to break the ice.”</p><p> </p><p>                Susuko still appeared to be quite taken aback by the new girl’s dramatic arrival, but still, she attempted to join in with Chiba’s laughing, not hiding her nervousness very well. Meanwhile, I diverted my attention to the new arrival to try and get a feel of her.</p><p>                As I’d noted earlier, she was distinctly taller than Chiba was - in fact, upon closer inspection, she was noticeably taller than even Susuko - though how much of that was augmented by the heels of her aerial gaiters was hard to say.</p><p> </p><p>                “Um, Hibari was it?” I asked her, reaching out my hand in greeting. “It’s nice to m-“</p><p> </p><p>                Before I could finish my introduction, ‘Hibari’ had taken a firm grip on my wrist and pulled me within inches of her, hoisting me onto the balls of my feet with her free hand cupping the small of my back.</p><p>“That’s right,” she replied, a deep longing in her navy eyes. “Hibari Uchimura: the Ultimate Aerial Dancer. I hope we get to know each other...verrrrry well, Yoko-darling.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
  <strong>Hibari Uchimura</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Aerial Dancer</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Allegra Clark)</strong>
</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>                “Ah...yes, I’m sure we, uh, will.”</p><p> </p><p>                This feeble response was the best that I could muster in that moment to try and break the tension; a tension that not even a knife could puncture. Hibari’s longing gaze grew ever stronger every second I remained in her arms, pressed up against her mink grey sailor top.</p><p>                Eventually, I found myself being pulled backwards quite roughly from underneath my shoulders - turning to see who it was, I found myself looking at Susuko, who was glaring at Hibari quite fiercely.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hi there, Hibari,” she snapped, wedging herself between Hibari and I. “Um, personal space much?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh?” Hibari gasped, before letting out a soft, yet regal chuckle. “My apologies, Susu-dear. Introductions are, after all, such an important and intimate part of human connection that I sometimes...well, I get a little carried away.”</p><p> </p><p>                Now with time to collect my thoughts, the memories came flooding back to me with Hibari’s last words.</p><p>                Hibari Uchimura, the so-called Siren of the Skies: a world-class acrobat who had managed to inject the thrilling art of aerial dance with a passion and sensuality that few could replicate. Having spent what felt like a mini eternity in her firm embrace, the intensity spoken of in those murmurs seemed all too real.</p><p> </p><p>                “See, isn’t this great?” Chiba squeed, perhaps eager to get the conversation back on track. “Here we all are, getting to know each other. Creepy locale aside, I really think that could be heading for some super duper high school fun!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, it will be certainly be fun, Chiba-darling, so very fun,” Hibari agreed. “So, have the two of you had much luck finding anyone else?”</p><p> </p><p>                “So far, we’ve found four other people,” I stated. “You two take our total up to eight, and I’m sure that there are more of us around here somewhere. Have you seen anyone else yourselves?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh yeah!” Chiba perked up. “Before I ran into Hibari here, I met these two total cuties. One had this gorgeous silken shawl, which...mm! Chef’s kiss! The other, uh...he had more a tall, dark and silent vibe, if ya know what I mean.</p><p>                “I think they should still be in the lounge just through there.”</p><p>                She then turned to her left to point at a pair of doors, framed on either side by complimentary black and white banners.</p><p> </p><p>                “These four that you already found,” Hibari asked. “Where would we need to go to find them?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, Just follow the hallway back and you should see a pair of doors, leading off to your right,” I informed them. “They should be waiting in the atrium.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, and if you hear a loud and obnoxious German guy, you should be on the right track,” Susuko added curtly.</p><p>It took all I could muster to not groan at her unapologetic rudeness.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hmm, sounds like a man with spirit,” Hibari purred. “You coming with, Chiba-darling?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Okie dokie!” Chiba cheered, giving a brief mock salute. “I just LOVE meeting new people, and if they’re as interesting as you two, I can’t wait!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Then I guess we’ll be seeing you two lovelies a little later. It was truly a pleasure.”</p><p> </p><p>                After her last remark, Hibari put an arm delicately around Chiba’s shoulder and proceeded down the hallway where we came from. Taking a brief moment to turn back and give us a playful wink and wave, they turned around the corner and out of sight.</p><p>                Talk about night and day - after our encounter with Gennai and Carolyn, it was quite a system shock to find two such larger than life characters. Chiba certainly set the room alight with her effervescent nature, but Hibari...</p><p> </p><p>                “Urgh, what - a - creep!” Susuko groaned.</p><p> </p><p>                Truth be told, it was hard to disagree with her: Shibari was certainly much more intense than anyone I had ever met - and the scent of her hyacinth perfume was still trapped in my trapped in my nostrils - but her bold confidence was quite admirable.</p><p>                “She was...a little forward, but she seems alright...uh, deep down.</p><p>                “Speaking of, it was nice to see you being more welcoming - thanks, Susuko.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, well, I...” Susuko stuttered, blushing wildly. “I mean, it was Chiba Aiji - how could I dunk on someone like her?”</p><p> </p><p>                Okay, I’ll admit that it was incredibly difficult not to roll my eyes at that shallow reasoning. Just when I thought I could give her some credit; she snaps me back to reality.</p><p>                Still, putting her sycophancy aside, it was certainly refreshing to see Susuko acting so friendly. Her reverence of Chiba was surreal enough, but the way she defended me from Hibari was even more disarming. Could it be that Susuko was, perhaps, more considerate than I had given her credit for? More so, perhaps, than even she expected?</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, shall we get going?” I indicated, tilting my head towards the doors which, Chiba had assured us, led to more of the group, waiting for us.</p><p> </p><p>                “Fine, why not?” Susuko moaned, pulling up just behind me as I twisted the brazen knocker and, with a hefty push, opened the large oaken doors to the lounge.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                It was like crossing a barrier into another world - the hallways and atrium which Susuko and I had been through so far exuded an uneasy sense of chill, like some kind of ghost town. In comparison, the lounge, into which we had just entered, could not have been any more different.</p><p>                A great, granite fireplace at the back wall crackled heartily, filling the two storey room with a generous warmth; with a chimney, stretching up towards the ceiling; flanked on either side by two immense windows, completely obscured by a prodigious amount of fog.</p><p>                Above our heads lay a raised platform, stretching the breadth of the room, held up by pillars in the floor; and the black and white carpet from the hallway stretched out in front of us, splitting at the end, as if framing the seating areas at the back.</p><p> </p><p>                Gazing intently across the room, my eyes soon fell upon a figure leaning across a table at the left hand window, trying, with great difficulty, to get a good look outside. I stepped forward carefully, hoping to not scare them by making too much noise...</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Brmm!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Sadly, Susuko didn’t seem to share the same sentiment, as she made sure to close the heavy lounge doors with a forceful slam, causing the hunching figure to jump in alarm and let out a slight yelp. As they recomposed themselves and turned to face us, I could now see that the figure was a girl, cloaked in a pale shawl.</p><p> </p><p>                Greeting us with a soft smile, she skipped towards us with an airy grace, allowing me to get a clearer view of her. Like Chiba, she was rather short, with a delicate frame; and soft brunette hair falling over her shoulders.</p><p>                Underneath the shawl, the rest of her attire was quite remarkable; comprising of a purple skirted leotard; growing translucent at the cuffs and collar, which were embedded with many shimmering rhinestones; and cerulean leg warmers over blackout tights and white high top sneakers.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, hello!” she uttered, coming to a graceful stop in front of Susuko and I. “Sorry about that; you kinda scared me a little.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, my apologies,” I replied repentantly. “We’ve just been exploring the place to see if we can find anyone - I’m Mayoko Etsuko and this is Susuko Kamei.”</p><p>                I gestured to Susuko, who greeted the graceful girl with a tight smile - probably the best that I can hope for right now.</p><p> </p><p>                “Were you alone in here?” I asked as I continued to look around the lounge, wondering if someone else might be waiting to appear - perhaps the encounter with Hibari had made me wary of sudden entrances.</p><p> </p><p>                “She was not.”</p><p> </p><p>                My gut instinct was right. Still, the sharp crack of the masculine voice that came from the large crimson armchair, facing the fireplace, admittedly caused me to gasp. Recollecting myself, I could now see the speaker rising out of the chair and turning slightly towards us.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ah! So it seems there are a lot more of us than we had anticipated,” he continued coldly, his voice now barely above a whisper. “Fascinating...”</p><p> </p><p>                After trailing off, the mysterious boy slowly worked his way around the armchair until he was now facing us, allowing me to get a closer look at him.</p><p>                His frame was tall and slender, accentuated by his well-pressed pewter gakuran; and his hair, as white as fresh snow, was slicked back on one side and styled into a forward fringe quiff on the other.</p><p>                He greeted us with a cold stare through his dark-framed spectacles - as if he were trying, for a moment, to size us up - before turning his attention back to the leather-bound book clutched in his right hand.</p><p> </p><p>                “Riiiiigggghht,” Susuko drawled, perhaps taken aback a little by the boy’s obtuse mannerisms. “Um, who are you people?</p><p> </p><p>                “Introductions...of course,” he sighed disinterestedly. “Not that there’s much to tell.</p><p>                “My name is Hiromu Daitanuso. I’m just a storyteller, but people insist on calling me an Ultimate, so...”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
  <strong>Hiromu Daitanuso</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Storyteller</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Austin Tindle)</strong>
</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>                Hiromu appeared to trail off, perhaps not too sure how to finish his sentence, and returned to the comfort of his book. It was quite hypnotic, to be honest, watching him flick through the pages with such adamant focus.</p><p>                Realising that I probably wouldn’t be able to get much more of an answer out of him at the moment, I turned back to the graceful girl, who met my gaze with a charming smile.</p><p> </p><p>                “And I’m Midori Mikihara!” she added, performing an elegant standing pirouette as she spoke, before going into a delicate curtsy. “I’m the Ultimate Figure Skater!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
  <strong>Midori Mikihara</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Figure Skater</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Cherami Leigh)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                With her poise and demeanour, it was certainly easier to picture Midori as such. In fact, of all the Ultimates in this year’s in-take, she was definitely one of the most talked about online. Despite being a relative newcomer to the national scene, she’d already made countless headlines for her impeccable performances, dancing on ice as flawlessly as a prima ballerina would on stage.</p><p> </p><p>                “That would explain your weird costume then,” Susuko snarked.</p><p> </p><p>                I really need to have a serious word with her about manners, don’t I? Just as I tried to apologise to Midori, she waved me down pleasantly.</p><p> </p><p>                “No, it’s okay. I guess it...does look a little out of place, but it’s really comfy, I assure you!</p><p>                “What about you two?”</p><p> </p><p>                I had barely opened my mouth to answer Midori’s question before she held out an arm to silence me again.</p><p> </p><p>                “No, wait! Let me guess!” she cut in excitedly, now turning to Susuko. “You...must be a Cheerleader because of your cute outfit - ooh we’re both kind of dancers, in that case! I’m sure we’ll be great friends!”</p><p> </p><p>                I could make out Susuko, in the corner of my eye, repeating her strained smile as she grunted in acknowledgment. I tried to resist rolling my eyes as Midori then turned back to me.</p><p>                “As for you...” she continued, rubbing her temples in concentration, before relaxing her focus. “I’m not too sure, I’m afraid.”</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s okay,” I replied quickly, eager to reassure her. “I’m the Ultimate Police Officer, in training. It’s nothing really extraordinary, but good job at guessing Susuko’s talent.“</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, well, it doesn’t take an idiot to work out what I do,” Susuko chided, much to my consternation.</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s really no big deal,” Midori interjected, noticing my expression. “It can take all sorts to make a cohesive group, and I’m glad to see that we have someone so dependable, like yourself, looking out for us, Mayoko.”</p><p> </p><p>                Midori’s words struck a distinct chord with me in a way that seemed far wiser and more maternal than could be expected from someone so youthful seeming. It was almost like every fibre of doubt in my mind had faded into nothingness.</p><p> </p><p>                “Curious...”</p><p> </p><p>                Hiromu had suddenly spoken up again, his gaze still locked on the book clenched firmly in his hand.</p><p>                “A police officer, a cheerleader, a figure skater and a storyteller...Ultimates, all bound for the Academy of Hope but brought together here...how very enigmatic.</p><p>                “A fell wind fills the air all around us and yet, despite the encroaching gloom, a warm radiance ties us all together. Could it be a bond? Camaraderie? Who can really say?”</p><p> </p><p>                As Hiromu came to an end, the lounge was once again filled with that ethereal silence, broken only by the fire. For such a basic summary of our situation, Hiromu had found a way to weave the words together with a wondrous air that was immediately understandable, yet hauntingly poetic. It was quite befitting, given what I’d read of his online profile - he clearly didn’t top bestseller lists weekly for nothing.</p><p> </p><p>                “He’s so weird,” Susuko whispered to me, though to call it a whisper might be generous.</p><p> </p><p>                “He’s a storyteller,” I reminded her. “He’s just going for a creative flourish.”</p><p> </p><p>                “...Yes,” Hiromu concurred. “Forgive my sombre mawkishness - a world so alive with sights, sounds and sensations as ours...truly, it is our duty to capture it. Sonnets, novellas, plays, all exist for the purpose of bringing colour to the cold greys of existence - that colour is what we refer to as stories.”</p><p> </p><p>                And there he went again, turning a mundane observation into a rhapsody of words. He seemed to catch himself this time, as he closed his book with a conclusive thud.</p><p>                “Hmhmm! I really can’t help myself, can I? Have you managed to ascertain much about our current situation?”</p><p> </p><p>                “What?” Susuko asked bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>                “If you’re asking about what’s going on here,” I explained, for Susuko’s benefit. “None of us are really sure, to be honest, but that’s why me and Susuko are working our way through this place.”</p><p> </p><p>                “A pity,” Hiromu sighed, reopening his book and continuing to skim through. “Still, I suppose you are not entirely unpleasant company. Much like Midori here, you are...perfectly fine.”</p><p> </p><p>                Well, that was awfully cold and dismissive. I was starting to get the impression that Hiromu was the kind of person who would often isolate himself in a world of his own creation, with little quarter given to any outside influence. An effective technique for crafting worlds of fiction, I could imagine, but, in our current situation, it could prove to be potentially troubling.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, sorry to break it to you buddy,” Susuko jibed. “But you guys are gonna have to leave here and meet some not-so-‘perfectly fine’ people.”</p><p> </p><p>                “How many other people are there?” Midori perked up. I then took the opportunity to explain our current understanding of the situation to her and Hiromu, reassuring them that the others were, contrary to Susuko’s biting remarks, nice and welcoming people.</p><p> </p><p>                “If you insist,” Hiromu huffed, continuing to stare off into the distance as he, once again, slammed his book shut. “I would personally prefer to remain here with my book, embraced by the silence of this wonderful lounge, but it probably is best for us to gather together. For the time being, that is.</p><p>                “I bid you adieu, Ultimate Police Officer Mayoko Etsuko and Ultimate Cheerleader Susuko Kamei.”</p><p> </p><p>                Reaching back around to place his book on the armchair he was sat in earlier, Hiromu gave us a cursory nod and proceeded out of the lounge, turning to the left and vanishing from sight.</p><p> </p><p>                “He’s so weird,” Susuko repeated, not even bothering to whisper this time.</p><p> </p><p>                “I think you already said that,” Midori noted flatly.</p><p> </p><p>                “I know, but he is...”</p><p> </p><p>                “He’s just a bit eccentric, that’s all,” I reassured her.</p><p> </p><p>                Still, it was a little difficult to say that there wasn’t anything unnerving about him - for someone called the Ultimate Storyteller, Hiromu was staggeringly hard to read. His sense of vernacular poetry and literary expression were quite at odds with his chilly disposition, but I had a feeling that he was trustworthy enough. If nothing else, the missing second button on his gakuran was a telling enough indicator that he could be warmer deep down than he may have wanted to let on.</p><p> </p><p>                “We didn’t even tell him which way to go,” I gasped, snapping back to reality. “Midori, do you mind catching up with him and directing him to the others?”</p><p>                I proceeded to give Midori a short summary of the route back to the atrium, which she seemed to understand fairly easily.</p><p> </p><p>                “You can count on me,” she beamed. “Oh, and while you’re looking for other people, there was this handsome-looking boy here earlier - he came through the door just there, but he didn’t stay long, so might still be down that way.</p><p>                “Okay, see you guys later!”</p><p> </p><p>                After pointing to the door in question - set at the back of the lounge, beside a long bookcase on the right - Midori walked a little past us and, with a last graceful curtsy, began skipping out of the lounging and followed Hiromu’s path around to the left.</p><p>                With any luck, Midori’s serene optimism will make it easier for her to get along with the others. As foreboding as this situation was, I could sense that she would bring a much needed sense of warmth to our situation.</p><p> </p><p>                Still, Midori’s last words lingered in my mind - <em>handsome boy</em>, she said. Pondering what exactly was waiting for us further on, I strode across the lounge to the door she’d indicated and reached out for its polished handle.</p><p> </p><p>                “How do you get people to do stuff like that?” Susuko asked, her voice tinged with mild envy.</p><p> </p><p>                “I guess that they just respect my authority,” I replied, greatly resisting the urge to add “or because I’m actually nice to them”.</p><p> </p><p>                With one firm twist, the door gave way, leading to a downward stairwell. An eery silence filled the passageway, so I pushed on ahead, wondering where it would lead.</p><p>                Still, it was certainly quite reaffirming to see how readily everyone was listening to my instruction. With any luck, I might, one day, be able to call myself the Ultimate Police Officer, without being compelled to append the words ‘in training’.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                The stairwell looked to have the same structure and ambience as the rest of the building, so, as Susuko and I descended the staggered stairs, it gave off a familiar ambience. Eventually, we came to a dead end, face to face with a strangely detailed portrait of a towering cake - a very bizarre centrepiece for an otherwise blank stairwell, if I had to be honest.</p><p>                Glancing right however, we found ourselves faced with a familiarly styled pair of doors, leading into a room situated directly underneath the lounge. The doors were ajar by just a few inches, so I reached out to widen the opening slightly, revealing the contents of the room in question.</p><p> </p><p>                The room was pretty expansive - as wide and long as the lounge above it - with a pristine chequerboard floor, very reminiscent of a giant chess set, psychedelic red patterns adorning the walls, and several pristine counter tops. If I had to hazard a guess, the room was some kind of kitchen.</p><p>                It was certainly pretty impressive, as far as kitchens go, but soon enough, my attention was drawn to a curious rustling sound, coming from behind the nearest counter. Paying closer attention, I could just about make out the crimson-haired head of a figure, ducking just out of view. They appeared to be in conversation with someone else, completely out of sight, so I thought it best to get their attention by knocking on the door.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Kthnk!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Okay, that might not have actually been the wisest choice. As soon as I’d knocked, a loud thump caused the counter top to rattle as a squeaky voice let out a pained yelp.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ooh, dear. That did not sound pleasant,” a second, silkier voice stated, coming from the crimson-haired figure. “Oh, do come in, why don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, right! Sorry about that,” I replied bashfully, as I peeked over the counter top to get a better look at the two figures. One was the crimson-haired boy we had seen from the door, but the other - a more squat, rotund boy - appeared to be shoulders deep into a cupboard built into the counter, groaning feebly after, presumably, banging his head on the inside.</p><p> </p><p>                “Are you ok?” I asked him guiltily</p><p> </p><p>                “Eh, nuttin’ a little band aid won’t fix, Miss,” he chuckled casually, attempting to dislodge himself from the cupboard. “Serves me right for getting too stuck in here.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, don’t beat yourself up too much, Mochi,” the silky-voiced boy interjected. “Accidents do happen, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>                After addressing the rotund boy - ‘Mochi’, presumably - the other boy then turned to face Susuko and I. Now that I was getting a proper look at him, one thing immediately stuck out to me about this crimson-haired stranger - he was exceedingly handsome. His eyes were opalescent, shimmering with an ethereal glow, and his skin was sleek and polished, practically blending in with his satin shirt, which was unbuttoned enough to leave plenty to the imagination...get a hold of yourself, Mayoko!</p><p> </p><p>                “Well now, aren’t you the charming little lady?” he greeted me suavely. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”</p><p> </p><p>                His smooth introduction caused me to blush a little as he proceeded with a refined bow.</p><p>                “It’s, uh, nice to meet you too,” I absentmindedly stuttered, unconsciously trying not to look him directly in the eye.</p><p> </p><p>                “Uh, hello! I’m here too y’know?” Susuko cut in abruptly, perhaps a little jealous of the attention she wasn’t getting.</p><p> </p><p>                “Indeed...you are,” he acknowledged flatly, acknowledging Susuko from the corner of his eye, which Susuko met with an icy glare.</p><p>                “Come along now, Mochi. I’ll patch you up later - right now, we have visitors.”</p><p> </p><p>                “O’ course, o’ course,” he squeaked excitedly, finally pulling himself loose from the cupboard and standing up straight - truth be told though, it was a little hard to tell at first, as he, admittedly, wasn’t a great deal taller than the counter top.</p><p> </p><p>                It was a little hard to describe the impression that this rotund boy gave when I came face to face with him - though his rosy cheeks and cutesy smile were all quite endearing, his eyes, on the other hand, magnified twenty-fold by enormous round glasses, were almost bug-like. It made for a quite a mismatched feeling, but he seemed to be friendly enough to counterbalance that sensation. Also, it wold be hard to say that he didn’t look the least bit cute in his crimson sweater vest and lime apron.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, oh, oh! I’m terribly sorry,” he added bouncily, patting his hands against his lime green apron. “Usually I ain’t so slow to ma manners.”</p><p> </p><p>                “No, it’s fine, really,” I followed up, trying to reassure him. “I really shouldn’t have given you such a fright just then anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>                “What were you even doing in that cupboard, anyway?” Susuko asked accusingly. “Trying to find a dark corner to crawl into, like a cockroach?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Susuko, please!” I cut in exhaustedly, pinching the bridge of my nose intently.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, really, it’s no biggie,” ‘Mochi’ chirped, barely flinching at Susuko’s taunt. “I were just looking for a mixing bowl, to be honest. Y’know, for such a huge kitchen, it ain’t exactly laid out very well. Not a clue how it’s all been sorted - I fret to think about where they keep the actual ingredients.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Mochi here was drawn to the kitchen like moths to a flame, you see?” the handsome boy added warmly. “Still, that’s to be expected, with a talent like his - a right little prodigy, he is.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Indeed, indeed. Maruki Ryobe’s the name and they call me the Ultimate Baker – feel free to call me ‘Mochi’.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Maruki 'Mochi' Ryobe</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Baker</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Dave Wittenberg)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                “Ah, that makes sense as to why you’re in here then,” I noted, smiling back at him.</p><p> </p><p>                Indeed, going by what I remembered of the online discussions, to call Maruki Ryobe a prodigy would be quite the understatement - believed to have started baking professionally before even hitting double digits, his eye to detail and attention to the craft were quite astonishing. Rumour has it he even baked a proportionately accurate cake effigy of Hope’s Peak Academy itself to get their attention - if true, it evidently worked.</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s nice to meet you, Mochi - I’m Mayoko Etsuko: the Ultimate Police Officer, in training.”</p><p> </p><p>                “And I’m the Ultimate Cheerleader, Susuko Kamei.”</p><p> </p><p>                After waiting a beat, as if expecting an astonished gasp, Susuko sighed loudly and turned grumpily to the handsome boy. “What about you, oh glimmerous one?”</p><p> </p><p>                With one last knowing smirk at Susuko, the handsome boy proceeded to make his way around the counter to stand beside Susuko and I - a breathy scuttling sound to our left indicated that Mochi was doing the same, having to jog just to keep pace.</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m Kota Ojiro: the Ultimate Tailor,” the handsome boy began. “Loathe though I am to repeat myself, it’s truly a pleasure. I hope we can become good friends.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Kota Ojiro</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Tailor</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(J Michael Tatum)</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                After he finished speaking, Kota held out his hand. As I reached out to shake it however, he pulled my gloved hand up to his lips and planted a kiss upon the back of it - I was a little taken aback by the boldness of the act, but he didn’t seem to have any negative intent.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yes, I, uh...hope so too” I muttered distractedly, taking my hand back, noting a scowling noise coming from Susuko.</p><p> </p><p>                Kota - or, to be precise, Ojiro - was another of those names that one might recognise without prior knowledge of Hope’s Peak. I’m not exactly what you’d call fashion savvy, but the Ojiro brand was certainly a hot commodity at many chain stores - in fact, he was already making significant waves on catwalks overseas, so it was clear that he had quite the eye for trends.</p><p> </p><p>                “So, um, have you two been in here since waking up?” I asked, renewing my focus.</p><p> </p><p>                “I certainly was, at least, but I believe that dear Mochi here was out on the stairs, at first,” Kota answered. “I can’t say much else beyond that, I’m afraid - we’re just as in the dark as you.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yep. It was all pretty scary, I must say,” Mochi chimed in. “All alone in a wood-panelled stairwell. Boy, I sure was lucky that I ran into Kota when I did, even more so in this gorgeous kitchen.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Indeed, you were. Still, I have to admit that these rather...shall we say ‘garish’ surroundings weren’t a pleasant sight to awaken to. Urgh, très dégoûtant!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, they are a bit...strange,” I agreed, taking a moment to get a proper look around. Indeed, the warped, rippling patterns upon the walls seemed more at home in a Rorschach blot test than a kitchen. Whoever the interior decorator of this place was must have had something of a postmodern approach to their work.</p><p> </p><p>                “God damn it - more Eurotrash!” Susuko groaned painfully. “I thought that Ditzfeld was bad enough, but now this glimmerous fop too?!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Don’t be mistaken, young lady,” Kota replied pointedly, perhaps trying to cut off my own irritated retort. “I’m Japanese, much like the rest of you. Of course, when you’ve seen as much of the world as I have, certain little flourishes do tend to rub off, you see?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Of course,” I concurred, catching Susuko’s embarrassed huff in my peripheral vision. “So, you’re saying you haven’t found anything that could indicate where we are, then?”</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m afraid so - I took a little wander upstairs, at one point, but nothing immediately discernible stood out. It was all a bit of a blur you see.</p><p>                “One minute, I’m walking through the gates of Hope’s Peak Academy - and what illustrious gates they were, I might add - then the next, I’m on this cold chequerboard floor. How puzzling.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Hmm, that’s unfortunate,” I sighed, trying hard to not sound like I was berating his lack of information.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, s’all pretty spooky if ya ask me,” Mochi added. “Tell ya what though, I’m glad that you guys are here, otherwise I mighta found meself going a little batty by now.”</p><p> </p><p>                I appreciated Mochi’s reverence, but it was still quite an unfortunate situation. If only there was more that I could say to reassure them that things would be fine. With ten other people relying on me, I could feel the pressure starting to mount and...wait!</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, right! I almost forgot,” I exclaimed. “There are a few more of us here that Susuko and I ran into on our way through this place - about ten of us in total, in addition to you guys, and all Ultimates, like us.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, so if you don’t have any valuable information, you can make yourself useful and go join the other losers,” Susuko interrupted forcefully - one of these days, she’s gonna find somebody that bites back. After giving them an apologetic sigh, I proceeded to give Kota and Mochi a brief rundown of the route.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, you know what they say? The more the merrier,” Kota sighed amusedly. “Mochi and I will make our way over there post-haste. Mochi?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Aww, do we have to go?” Mochi moaned disappointedly. “I still ain’t found a mixing bowl yet!”</p><p> </p><p>                I could see that he was starting to fall into a little bit of a funk, so I bent down to place a hand on his shoulder and tried to give him my warmest smile.</p><p> </p><p>                “Don’t worry, Mochi. Once we’ve worked out what’s going on and why we’re here, you can come back and look for that mixing bowl. Right now though, it’s probably safer to meet up with the others, so we can work things out, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>                He still appeared to be somewhat disappointed, but, with one slight gulp, he looked back up at me and gave me an energetic nod.</p><p>                “Mmhm! If ya say so, Miss Mayoko,” he cheerfully responded.</p><p> </p><p>                “Then, I guess, we shall be taking our leave, for now,” Kota announced and, placing a hand upon Mochi’s back to shepherd him forward, began making his way to the door of the kitchen. “Au revoir, mademoiselles!”</p><p> </p><p>                “See ya!” Mochi cheered, giving a little wave and, with one last wink from Kota, the two boys vanished around the corner, as I waved them off.</p><p> </p><p>                Left alone in the kitchen with Susuko, I stopped to think about all the progress we’d made so far. To be precise though, it was more of a lack of progress - despite everyone we had come across, we were still no closer to solving the mystery of how we all wound up here. With our numbers starting to add up the way that they were, I knew that it was only a matter of time until things started getting a little rowdy.</p><p> </p><p>                “Incidentally...”</p><p> </p><p>                Speak of the devil and he shall appear, as they say. That said, I didn’t realise thoughts counted in that regard. Turning swiftly on the spot, I once again came to face Kota, poking his head around the door frame.</p><p> </p><p>                “I took a quick look through the doors over there,” he stated. “It was all very drab and quite chilling, but I could’ve sworn I heard voices in there. You might want to check it out.”</p><p> </p><p>                And then, just as suddenly as he had reappeared, Kota had again disappeared. I looked across the kitchen towards the doors he gestured to - a chilling, uncomfortable pair of iron-wrought ones - and took in their unwelcoming aura with a slight gulp.</p><p> </p><p>                “God, how many more of these idiots are there?” Susuko groaned, flopping loudly onto the counter top. “Why do we have to deal with all the weirdos or assholes?”</p><p> </p><p>                “They’re not weirdos OR assholes, Susuko!” I reminded her brusquely. “You just need to stop getting so defensive when they don’t address you right away.”</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s easy for you to say - it’s not my fault you have this magical ‘let’s be friends’ aura with everyone you run into.”</p><p> </p><p>                What doesn’t that even mean? Regardless, I could tell that this was something that was really bothering her, so it was fortunate that an idea popped into my head that should, hopefully, help her with her concerns.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, ok then, how about you take the lead on the next group? Would that be okay with you?”</p><p> </p><p>                Susuko appeared to be a little taken aback by the suggestion, at first, but, after some noisy pondering, she gave me her answer with an annoyed moan.</p><p> </p><p>                “Urgh, fine! I guess I can do your job for you!”</p><p> </p><p>                That’s probably the best I can expect from her for now, to be honest. She can be pretty trying at times, but I feel like I’m starting to get a grasp on what makes Susuko the way she - if nothing else, it should be easier for me to help her feel more at ease here, with the rest of us.</p><p>                Having settled on our next course of action, I turned to the iron doors and, with a determined step, made my way towards it, Susuko in tow.</p><p> </p><p>                I might never have ventured beyond those doors, had I any idea of the despair that lay in wait for me just beyond.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>More getting to know the upcoming cast today. Like I mentioned before, I broke up this segment to avoid the problem of having to consume one gigantic monolith of text - that and it gives me more time to work on upcoming chapters...padding, everybody!</p><p>If you've been doing your math, you'll probably have noticed that we're reaching that golden number of sixteen students soon - only one more section for character intros remains, so you can look forward to that next Sunday.</p><p>-----</p><p>Cast Suggestion Details:</p><p>Chiba Aiji, Ultimate Social Media Personality<br/>Brittney Karbowski, in the style of Karen Tendou (Gamers)</p><p>Hibari Uchimura, Ultimate Aerial Dancer<br/>Allegra Clark, in the style of Dorothea Arnault (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)</p><p>Hiromu Daitanuso, Ultimate Storyteller<br/>Austin Tindle, in the style of Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)</p><p>Midori Mikihara, Ultimate Figure Skater<br/>Cherami Leigh, in the style of Makoto Nijima (Persona 5)</p><p>Maruki "Mochi" Ryobe, Ultimate Baker<br/>Dave Wittenberg, in the style of Teddie (Persona 4 [PS2])</p><p>Kota Ojiro, Ultimate Tailor<br/>J Michael Tatum, in the style of Kyoya Otori (Ouran High School Host Club)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Prologue: Part 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>                The feeling of crossing from one world to another came back to me in an instant - unlike moving from the hallway to the lounge, however, this was most definitely a descent into something more foreboding.</p><p>                The large concrete room, into which Susuko and I had entered, seemed to emit an ungodly chill. As spread out as the trophy hall above us, with corridors stretch out to our left and right, and two vast stone columns holding up the dusty ceiling, it seemed like it should feel wide open and expansive. However, the encroaching darkness all around, broken only by a single flickering light in the centre of the ceiling, created an overwhelming atmosphere of claustrophobia and dread.</p><p>                Every second that we spent in this dank basement was causing an immense knot to form in the pit of my stomach, tightening the longer we stayed. Even Susuko’s usually sour demeanour had been drowned out by the sheer oppressive nature of this place.</p><p> </p><p>                “Uh...Mayoko?” she asked trepidatiously. “Are you, uh...you sure we wanna be down here? This place is giving me the creeps, big time.”</p><p> </p><p>                She was even saying my name properly now - this must be serious. If I knew this was what the basement would be like, I would’ve no doubt headed back to the atrium and met with the others to talk things through. Still...</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>                It was all very drab and quite chilling, but I could’ve sworn I heard voices in there. You might want to check it out.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Kota’s words still rung in my head clearly and, although I had to wonder who, in their right mind, would want to come down here, it wasn’t a possibility that I could ignore. Like it or not, I would have to take a good look around.</p><p> </p><p>                Taking a few careful steps forward, between the great stone columns, I could now make out three sets of heavyset iron doors - one straight ahead and others towards the left and right. Just as I attempted to reach out and open the doors in front...</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, I’m being serious!” Susuko repeated, taking a firm grip on my shoulder to turn me around to face her. “I really really don’t like the feel of this place, so can we just leave?”</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m sorry, Susuko,” I attempted to assert. “But I have to be sure that there’s no one else trapped down here. You understand, right?”</p><p> </p><p>                “C’mon, you’re supposed to be the cop here, aren’t ya? That glimmerous fop w-was lying about other people being down here - he was giving me the evils the moment he locked eyes on me, I swear.”</p><p> </p><p>                I really want to believe you, Susuko, more than I want to admit - truth be told, it was taking all my courage to just stand my ground down here. Still, even if Kota was trying to trick us - for whatever reason, I wasn’t sure - I had to be absolutely sure that the area was clear before leaving.</p><p> </p><p>                “Damn it, Mayoko!” Susuko yelled, noticing my obstinance. “This isn’t the time to show off how brass your balls are. I’m telling you; this place is jus - “</p><p> </p><p>                That’s when it happened.</p><p> </p><p>                In that instant, with Susuko mid-plea, the solitary flickering light above our heads cut out, leaving us drowned in darkness. I felt a vice-like grip form around my arm - most likely Susuko grabbing hold of me, judging by the short shriek she let out in my ear.</p><p>                The knot in my stomach was starting to engorge; my heart rate was rising like mad, as though my chest would burst open at any moment; and the hairs on the back of my neck were standing to attention like they never had before.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Kdnk! Kdnk! Kdnk!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                There it came, from the distance. A great, metallic thudding sound, almost like heavy footsteps, echoed through the basement.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Kdnk! Kdnk! Kdnk!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Closer and closer, louder and louder.</p><p>                That settled it. Coming down here was a serious mistake. Kota must’ve just been mistaken earlier when he heard voices - this whole building was spooky enough as is, so hearing strange noises as speech was an understandable mistake.</p><p>                I took a hold of Susuko’s arm with my free hand, hoping that she wouldn’t catch on to the tremor in my grip, and began to walk briskly back towards the door to the kitchen, back to light and certainty, to a sense of safety.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Thmp!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                In my haste, I collided with a solid surface and fell to the cold concrete ground. I thought, for a moment, that I had misjudged my direction and crashed into one of the giant columns, but the feeling of dread that was swelling up inside me was primed and ready to burst.</p><p>                Columns aren’t supposed to be that soft.</p><p> </p><p>                It was when I tilted my head up that it happened. The dread within me finally broke free, and all sense of control vanished in an instant. It was only the briefest of split seconds, but in the moment that the lights flickered back on, before the basement swiftly returned to darkness, there it stood.</p><p> </p><p>                A great and terrible silhouette towered above me. A vast, muscly figure, a few inches away from scraping its head on the ceiling, with a face twisted into a cruel scowl.</p><p> </p><p>                All awareness of space and time had slipped away. My breathing had accelerated to an insane degree; my vision was starting to blur; and all sound was muffled beyond recognition, until only the furious panting of my frantic heart remained. A single desperate though ran through my mind as my legs became numb beneath me and I collapsed to the ground.</p><p> </p><p>                Not now! Please! Any time but now! Not here!</p><p> </p><p>                In my floored state, images started running through my mind, as crisp and clear as the basement had been but moments earlier. Images that felt more real than what was right in front of me this very moment.</p><p>                A darkened cellar...metallic clanking...a towering figure, sheer malice carved into their face.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>                We’ll fetch a hefty price for you!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                No, no, no! Oh God, please! This isn’t real! This isn’t real! This isn’t...real...</p><p> </p><p>                “M......ok...! C...... ......u h......r ...e?! ......yo......!”</p><p> </p><p>                A voice was now trying to force its way through the muffled din, but it was barely comprehensible. I could make out a...I dunno, some kind of shape in front of me. Some pink thing - Susuko?</p><p> </p><p>                “...ta... w......h m..., M.........ko! P......l y.........s......f t...g.........er!”</p><p> </p><p>                It’s no use. I can’t understand her. What little vision I had was fading to a murky black, as I felt myself falling sideways. All sight and sound was slipping away.</p><p> </p><p>                And everything was dark.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                I can’t say for sure how much time has passed, but all I can really say is that consciousness had somewhat returned to me. I had no idea, for a moment, where I was, but I knew that I was present. It’s a hard feeling to describe, being between here and there.</p><p> </p><p>                “A...... w......t di... ......is ‘t......ng’ ...ook l......e?”</p><p> </p><p>                “I d...n...o...it w...... ...up...... d......k, ...ut it w...s hu...... and mu......ly, w......h a fa...... th...t ...oo......d ki......a ...ike a ...a gi......t ...ea...?”</p><p> </p><p>                What was that? I couldn’t make out the details, but sparse fragments of a conversation were bubbling to the surface of my consciousness. Two raised voices were bouncing back and forth, but what was being said I couldn’t say.</p><p> </p><p>                “A gian... b......r?” the first voice uttered, its pitch high and unmistakably feminine, but with a certain harsh quality. “D’y... ...av... a...y ide... h...w fu......in... r...dic...lo...s tha... sou...d...?!”</p><p> </p><p>                “It’... w......t I s...w, da...... it!” the second voice replied, it’s sharp tone vaguely familiar. “A......way, it w...s ......ere f...r a sp......t s...con..., ......en it van...sh...s, an... s...e’s on th... grou...d, ...yp...rve...tila...ing.”</p><p> </p><p>                “It’... a prett... a...surd stor..., yo... ha...... to admi... - bears don’... jus... p...p up ou... of now......re ...nd vanis... in t...... bli...k of a... eye.”</p><p> </p><p>                I could barely follow the conversation in my dazed state - something about vanishing bears? That first voice was right about it being absurd, but the second voice was pretty insistent. Slowly, blurred images were starting to form in front of me - three indistinct silhouettes bathed in an intense light.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, Tanki!” a third voice called out, this one male and soothing. "I think she’s coming around.”</p><p> </p><p>                Before long, the blurry images were starting to take shape and my surroundings were beginning to come into focus. In front of me directly we’re Susuko, the last vestiges of panic still visible in her wide eyes; and someone who I’d never seen before, dressed in a worn burgundy blazer and striking olive-green cargo pants, cut off halfway down her shins.</p><p>                Her stance was firm and resolute, with an unrelenting sense of purpose; arms folded tightly in front of her as she glared down at me with a feral intensity; her golden, hawk-like eyes peeking out from beneath her messy brunette pixie cut, highlighted by a shockingly pink parted fringe.</p><p> </p><p>                “Looks like Sleeping Beauty’s finally awake!” the scowling girl jeered, her voice dripping with suspicion.</p><p> </p><p>                I was honestly a little taken aback by her strong tone, so I tried to distract myself by getting a clearer grasp of my surroundings.</p><p>                I seemed to be halfway between sitting up and lying down, and could feel a cold, tiled ground beneath me. Vast, crowded metal shelves towered above, forming rows from one end of the room to the other. The room itself was absurdly spacious - about two storeys high, if I were to guess - with sterile grey walls and rows of incandescent lighting fixtures which, flooded the area with an ivory glow.</p><p> </p><p>                “How’re you holding up?”</p><p> </p><p>                I was caught off guard by the presence of the third voice, only now realising how close to my ear it was. I turned my head to find the speaker: a pale, smiling boy with sandy hair, dressed somewhat casually underneath a long, pristine lab coat. His expression was wary but gentle, and he exuded a calming aura that left me speechless, for a moment or two.</p><p> </p><p>                “Huh?” I gasped. “Um, fine, I guess. W-what happened?”</p><p> </p><p>                The pale boy didn’t have time to respond before Susuko dropped to her knees in front of me, grabbing my left hand.</p><p> </p><p>                “You freaked out and went unconscious when the blackout happened!” she bawled, her voice still a little shaken. ”Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Uh, y-yeah,” I groaned, pulling myself into a more comfortable sitting position. “I’m fine.”</p><p> </p><p>                Perhaps realising how close she got, Susuko hastily scrambled away, stood back up and started playing with a strand of her hair, determined not to look me in the eye. Seeing her in such a state over my situation was a surreal comfort, yet the way she seemed desperate to reset to her usual demeanour was weird in a completely different way - just when I thought that I’d gotten a good impression her...</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, where are we?” I continued, still trying to make sense of our cold, cavernous surroundings.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, I’m not too sure, but it looks like some kind of warehouse,” the pale boy suggested, glancing around at some of the higher shelves. “Though, I guess, given our situation, it would be probably more appropriate to call it a where-house, don’t you think?</p><p> </p><p>                An involuntary chuckle escaped my lips at his dorky quip. It wasn’t even that funny, to be honest, but something about his delivery made it seem really charming.</p><p>                “I suppose it could be called that,” I replied absentmindedly, trying not to look at him directly.</p><p> </p><p>                “Fuckin’ hell, he’s a pun meister,” the scowling girl groaned. “Man, I thought you were alright...”</p><p> </p><p>                “Urgh, puns are so stupid,” Susuko concurred grumpily, her eyes rolling right out of her skull. “Like, seriously, they’re just so lazy and half-assed.”</p><p> </p><p>                A bit of a harsh response to a harmless pun, if I had to be honest, but the pale boy seemed completely unperturbed - his concerned eyes were still fixed on me, unblinking at the girls’ insults.</p><p> </p><p>                “You ok to stand?” he asked me. “Not that I don’t enjoy being a human deck chair, of course, but the floor is kinda cold.”</p><p> </p><p>                It hadn’t occurred to me until now, but as I looked up at the pale boy and traced my eye-line down from his face to his shoulder, then to his arm, I suddenly became aware that my half-prone position was a result of him holding me up.</p><p> </p><p>                How long was I out? How long has he been holding me like this?</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” I gasped, hastily standing back up and restabilising myself. After an awkward few seconds, I turned back to the pale boy and helped him up too.</p><p>                “I hope I wasn’t too heavy,” I said apologetically.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, not at all,” he beamed, brushing the dust off of his lab coat. I still felt a little guilty, but he seemed to still be in fairly high spirits.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, now that we’ve gotten that sideshow outta the way, are ya gonna explain yourself?” Tanki cut in.</p><p> </p><p>                As I turned back to face her, meeting her ironclad glare, it suddenly dawned on me just how diminutive she was - a solid five-foot-tall, if I had to guess - in spite of her dominating presence.</p><p> </p><p>                “Explain myself?” I asked, somewhat taken aback by her intensity. “I’m not too sure what you mean.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Fainting in the hallway ring any bells for ya?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, right...”</p><p> </p><p>                In that instant, it all came flooding back to me. I remembered being in the basement hallway, the way that the lights just shut out...the menacing figure...</p><p>                I knew that this question would be coming, of course - I must have made quite a scene out in there - but still, I couldn’t bring myself to tell them yet. I’d already relived that trauma once today, and once was more than enough.</p><p>                “I’d...rather not go into details about that. I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>                The scowling girl eyed me suspiciously for a moment, narrowing her gaze with an intensity that was quite unnerving. I tried to avoid making eye contact, hoping to not let too much of my discomfort be known. After a moment, she blinked and turned her back on me.</p><p> </p><p>                “...Eh, whatever! Probably not that important anyway.” she sighed, taking a couple of paces away and turning back to face us. “What is important though is you two: namely, what the hell you’re both doing down here.”</p><p> </p><p>                “To be fair, Tanki, they could ask the same of us,” the pale boy interjected playfully. “It’s not like we’ve got the patent on exploring dark basements.”</p><p> </p><p>                “...Granted, but still!”</p><p> </p><p>                After grumbling this last response, the scowling girl went back to pacing back and forth. If the pale boy was to be believed, her name was Tanki - I’m wasn’t too sure just yet, but something about that name was strikingly familiar.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, you don’t own the warehouse so you can’t have a go at us for being here,” Susuko jeered, falling back into her usual haughty demeanour. “Unless you do own this creepy place, that is?”</p><p> </p><p>                ‘Tanki’ didn’t even say a word, but the primal glare that she shot at Susuko was enough to make my travelling companion squeal. To be honest, I was pretty disturbed myself for a second.</p><p> </p><p>                “B-besides,” Susuko resumed, attempting to downplay her show of fright. “What dumbass thought it was a good idea to connect the kitchen to the warehouse?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Fuck if I know!” the scowling girl replied in annoyance. “Nothing about this situation makes any sense, let alone the god damn building structure!”</p><p> </p><p>                “We’ve just been exploring the place,” I added, hoping to clear the air a little. “We’re trying to find out who else is here and figure on our bearings.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, you’ve found the two of us, at least,” the pale boy “Which reminds me - we haven’t properly introduced ourselves. Sorry about that.</p><p>                “I’m Heikichi Sakoda: the Ultimate Chemist. Pleasure to meet you.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> <strong>Heikichi Sakoda</strong></p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Chemist</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(David Matranga)</strong>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  
</p><p>                Chemist, huh? I figured it had to be something science-related due to the lab coat, so that makes sense.</p><p>                That being said, I’m not sure if it’s just my frazzled brain, trying to reacclimatise to consciousness, but I was having a hard time recalling much information about him - most of the other students were quite hotly discussed amongst the message boards, but I didn’t recall much regarding Heikichi, outside of his talent. Judging by his calm manner though, he does seem like the type to keep to himself.</p><p> </p><p>                “You too, Heikichi,” I responded earnestly. “I’m Mayoko Etsuko: the Ultimate Police Officer, in training.”</p><p> </p><p>                “And I’m Susuko Kamei: the Ultimate Cheerleader. I know, it’s a please to meet me.”</p><p> </p><p>                Judging by the awkward silence that followed, it was anything but. ‘Tanki’ just scoffed loudly and Heikichi...</p><p> </p><p>                “A pleasure indeed, Mayoko Etsuko,” Heikichi responded, completely ignoring Susuko’s grandstanding, much to her annoyance.</p><p> </p><p>                It was odd though. To be honest, I couldn’t exactly say that he ignored it so much as he just didn’t seem to register it at all. Not even a blink - he still was smiling at me just as much as he was earlier. I couldn’t help but wonder...</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh goody!”</p><p> </p><p>                I didn’t have much time to think it over before ‘Tanki’ started marching purposefully up the short staircase towards the door of the warehouse.</p><p> </p><p>                “Now that we’ve got all of the kumbayas outta the way,” she continued impatiently. “Are we actually gonna haul ass outta here and find out what the hell’s going on, or are we gonna keep sitting around in the dark with our thumbs up our asses?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Uh, Tanki? Where are you going?” Heikichi asked bemusedly.</p><p> </p><p>                “Weren’t you listening, chem boy? We still need to figure out what we’re fucking doing here, and we aren’t gonna find out by hiding in an underground basement!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Hold up a second!” Susuko yelled indignantly. “You ain’t escaping that easy - who the hell are you supposed to be?”</p><p> </p><p>                The atmosphere froze in an instant, as if Susuko had just trodden on a land mine. ‘Tanki’ stopped atop the stairs and pivoted on the spot sharply, glaring down at Susuko.</p><p> </p><p>                “And who says it’s any o’ your business, gumdrop?” she shot back icily, hopping down from the raised platform and landing with a pronounced thud. Susuko shook a little at the dramatic display, but nonetheless held steady and took a few paces up to ‘Tanki’.</p><p> </p><p>                “W-well, if we’re gonna be stuck here with you, I-I’d like to know who or what you’re supposed to be!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, I’d like you to keep your empty skull outta my fucking business!” ‘Tanki’ barked back, with mere inches now separating her and Susuko. With her voice dropping to a sinister whisper:</p><p>                “But I guess neither of us can have what we want now, can we?”</p><p> </p><p>                This was getting rapidly out of hand - without thinking, I thrust myself between the two arguing girls and threw my arms wide, eager to cut the argument short.</p><p> </p><p>                “Both of you, calm down!” I demanded. “This really isn’t something to make an issue out of. We’re all a little stressed out here but turning on each other won’t accomplish anything.”</p><p> </p><p>                It felt like being stuck between two quarrelling lionesses. Both Susuko and ‘Tanki’ exhaled loudly, as if to outdo the other, though Susuko seemed much less confident than her opponent.</p><p> </p><p>                “Fine, whatever!” ‘Tanki’ sighed, taking a few steps back. “Tanki Gurenko: Ultimate Bounty Hunter. Happy now?”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> <strong>Tanki Gurenko</strong></p><p>
  <strong>Ultimate Bounty Hunter</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Sarah Williams)</strong>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  
</p><p>                “I suppose so, it’s uh...” I spoke carefully. “It’s nice to meet you, Tanki.”</p><p> </p><p>                After Tanki finished speaking, Susuko let out a distressed yelp and leapt right behind me, as if hoping to use me as a human shield. So much for her concern about my wellbeing earlier.</p><p> </p><p>                “I knew it!” Susuko shrieked. “I kn-knew you put out a m-m-murdery vibe from the minute we c-came in here!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, don’t get your panties in a twist, gumdrop!” Tanki cackled. “You won’t have anything to fear unless you give me a REALLY good reason...so don’t give me a good reason.”</p><p> </p><p>                Susuko didn’t say a word in response to Tanki’s warning, but her trembling hands on my shoulders and her suspicious hum were all the evidence I needed to know she understood.</p><p> </p><p>                Now that she’d finally introduced herself, that nagging feeling in the back of my mind came back in full force - now I knew why Tanki seemed so familiar to me and, truth be told, I couldn’t say that it was so nice to meet her after all.</p><p> </p><p>                Tanki Gurenko - the Crimson Child, the Last Ace, whatever you wanted to call her - was a name that I knew very well without resorting to the Hope’s Peak message boards. Her name was particularly infamous in law enforcement circles for her ruthless nature and stupendously high criminal apprehension count.</p><p>                She was no doubt effective at bringing down criminals, but her methods left a sour taste in the mouths of many officers that have had the...experience of working with her. To think that such a small and unassuming girl could be such a dangerous person.</p><p> </p><p>                Perhaps now satisfied that Susuko had gotten the message, Tanki turned her furrowed gaze back to me.</p><p>                “So, Mayoko!” she stated flatly. “You said you were looking for other people here, right? What’s your headcount at?”</p><p> </p><p>                Headcount? She must be asking how many of the others we’d found. So far, including us four, then adding Blitzfeld, Kotona, Carolyn, Gennai, Chiba, Hibari, Midori, Hiromu, Kota and Mochi...</p><p> </p><p>                “There should be fourteen of us,” I answered confidently. “Us four and the ten that me and Susuko met along the way. They should all be waiting in the atrium.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Fourteen, huh?” Tanki replied, before starting to murmur to herself. “And with that gangly fucknugget, that makes fifteen...but that puts us one short.”</p><p> </p><p>                Gangly what? One short? I didn’t really know what to make of her muttering, but she quickly stopped and turned back to us, whipping an envelope out of her jacket pocket.</p><p> </p><p>                “This ring in bells for you?” she asked bluntly, brandishing the envelope in our faces.</p><p> </p><p>                To say it rung bells would be an understatement, as it was exactly the same as the envelope within my own pocket, except far more crumpled - the Hope’s Peak Academy invitation.</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s got that symbol from that school that I got into,” Susuko answered half-heartedly. “I can’t remember what it says though - I kinda just scanned over it. You got any ideas, Ein...stein?”</p><p> </p><p>                Mid-flippant explanation, Susuko ground to a halt as she seemed to be distracted by Heikichi - he had moved in close to Tanki to get a closer look, practically peering over the top of her head. Watching the gears turn in his head was kind of enrapturing, but he soon seemed to come to a wide-eyed realisation.</p><p>               </p><p>                “Of course, that makes sense!” he exclaimed, turning back to Susuko and I, as if we’d come to the realisation too. After a few seconds of looking at the envelope myself, I was sure that we had come to the same conclusion; but Susuko, beside me, answered with a flat “Huh?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Hope’s Peak Academy, right?” he continued. “All of us here seem to be Ultimates, so if what Tanki’s saying is right...”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, look, turns out chem boy actually does have a brain,” Tanki snarked. “Well done!”</p><p> </p><p>                That really wasn’t necessary, Tanki. Still, insults aside, it seemed as though we’d come to a shared conclusion.</p><p>                Fifteen to sixteen students, all Ultimates, all in one place - thinking about it for just a moment, the answer was pretty obvious. Though it was arguably foolish to discount the possibility of others being lost somewhere inside this place, everything else was lining up too perfectly.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, wait!” Heikichi interrupted, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “If there’s just fourteen of us - and our gangly friend from earlier - we should be one short, right?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, but I’m sure Mr Bonegangles will find them or something,” Tanki assured him. “This place can’t be too big, right? They’ll turn up eventually.”</p><p> </p><p>                I still had no idea what they were going on about, with regards to this gangly stranger, but the general point she was making seemed to be solid.</p><p> </p><p>                “In other words, you guys are, essentially, the last ones here,” I spoke up optimistically. “We’ve found everyone?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Give or take one or two that I know about already, pretty much,” Tanki added matter-of-factly.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, thank God!” Susuko exclaimed gratefully. “We’re finally done walking around now, right? We can just go now?”</p><p> </p><p>                It would be hard to say that I didn’t, at least partially, share in Susuko’s relief. It felt like we’d been traversing the insides of this mysterious building for a hours, encountering all sorts of calm, kooky and crazy characters, but to think that everyone - give or take Tanki’s ‘gangly friend’ - was gathered now lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.</p><p>                Now, the real test would begin.</p><p> </p><p>                “Now then,” Tanki stated firmly, bringing her fists together. “You said that everybody else’s waiting in the atrium, yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s right,” I answered. “It’s a bit of an awkward route to navigate, but we should be able to just retrace the path we took to get here. It’s not like there’s much else for us to explore down here anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, that’s where we’re in luck then, right?” Tanki smirked knowingly to Heikichi.</p><p> </p><p>                “Right!” he enthusiastically answered. “You girls ready to raise your expectations?”</p><p> </p><p>                Based on his tone, it seemed as though Heikichi was going for another pun, but Susuko and I didn’t really know enough to get what he was referencing. Tanki, however, let out an immense groan, her palm colliding quite audibly with her face.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hehe! Couldn’t help myself,” Heikichi chuckled, before turning back to Susuko and I.</p><p>                “Anyway, before we found you two in the basement hallway, I was fiddling around with what appeared to be a large elevator. When the lights went out, I wasn’t able to see what I was doing, so I tried to make my way back to the warehouse, which is when I found you guys on the ground.”</p><p> </p><p>                Yeah, when he found me, collapsed in a ball of my own personal hell. I still can’t believe how little it took me to end up like that again. Still, that was in the past and we had more pressing concerns right now.</p><p> </p><p>                “It must have been quite a hassle for you,” I pointed out sombrely. “I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, its no trouble, really. Anyway, it’s just behind those big metal doors opposite the kitchen - fancy a shortcut?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, definitely!” Susuko cheered. “I’m tired of all this walking around anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>                “A shortcut does sound good to me,” I concurred, thankful that we’d be leaving the basement soon.</p><p> </p><p>                “And hey! You’ll be coming full circle, Mayucko - remember how I first found you: on the floor of an elevator?”</p><p> </p><p>                I chuckled faintly at Susuko’s snarky quip as I watched her make a hasty beeline for the door of the warehouse - funny to think that all of this started with just me and her.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, don’t go running off so suddenly, you flighty bitch!” Tanki screeched, running out of the warehouse, right after Susuko.</p><p> </p><p>                Their raised voices echoed around the corridor outside for a fair while until, eventually, there was naught but silence. Just me and Heikichi, standing in a warehouse. Alone together.</p><p> </p><p>                “Quite a spirited pair, aren’t they?” Heikichi muttered cheerfully, turning to face me.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, you could say so,” I agreed. “I’m kinda surprised though: Susuko’s been pretty confrontational with almost everyone we’ve met so far - I’m still in a little bit of disbelief that we’ve met someone who will actually fight back.”</p><p> </p><p>                Still, for all the people in the world that Susuko could’ve picked a fight with, it had to be Tanki Gurenko? The bounty hunter may have sworn off giving us any serious hassle, but I still wasn’t sure how I felt being in such close proximity to such a volatile individual.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, it seems like you’ve done a pretty good job of keeping her in check - if you can forgive the incredibly lame joke, you two have good chemistry.”</p><p> </p><p>                I had to cover my mouth with my hand to hold in the giggle that had just escaped me. What has gotten into me today?</p><p> </p><p>                “I suppose you’re right,” I responded, not quite moving my hand from my mouth right away. “You always seem to have a witty remark - it’s pretty cool, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, thanks, I guess - that laugh of yours is pretty cute too.”</p><p> </p><p>                Why did he have to say that? Out loud, with that charming smile of his? I could feel colour starting to rush to my cheeks, so I quickly turned my head away from him, unconsciously brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. I peeked back briefly to let out a feeble little “Thank you,” to which he responded with a chuckled “You’re welcome.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey!”</p><p> </p><p>                An irritated shriek erupted from the direction of the warehouse door. I looked up quickly, expecting some kind of trouble, to find Tanki, poking her head around the door, looking thoroughly disgruntled.</p><p>                “Look, if you two are so desperate to start boning, you can have all the time in the world later. C’mon! Vamoose!”</p><p> </p><p>                With a final violent head jerk towards the exit, she once again vanished from sight. I barely registered Heikichi’s bemused response as I was a bit too preoccupied trying to unmelt my brain.</p><p>                My face was redder than a prize tomato and my mind was racing with all sorts of involuntary images that I just couldn’t stop. What did you have to go and say that for, Tanki?!</p><p> </p><p>                “Mayoko?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Huh?!” I gasped loudly, snapping back to reality. I turned to see Heikichi staring right at me with noticeable concern.</p><p> </p><p>                “You’re looking a little flushed - do you need air or water, or anything?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, no, I’m fine, really!” I rambled, trying my best to hide my rapidly reddening cheeks. “Yeah, we should probably, uh, go.”</p><p> </p><p>                After spluttering this last rapid response, I strode with purpose towards the warehouse door, thankful that Heikichi wasn’t a mind reader. Soon, I was back in cold, grim basement and, after ascending a short staircase, found myself back in the central basement hallway, great stone columns and all. Fortunately, the lights were no longer a flickering mess like earlier, so I had little reason to fear another blackout. The room still left me feeling highly uneasy, but my mind couldn’t help but fixate on one thing.</p><p> </p><p>                Putting aside that last little exchange  between Tanki, Heikichi and I - an exchange that shall never be mentioned again - a nagging doubt was starting to fester in the back of my mind. Though I didn’t sense any inherent malice in his words or actions, something about Heikichi was giving me unusual vibes.</p><p>                At multiple times throughout the conversation, he would fixate unblinkingly on people when they spoke, and he seemed to have some difficulty following the conversation. I had a hunch as to what could be going on, but I figured it would be best to ask him about it later.</p><p> </p><p>                Besides, I had a few other, less pun-enthusiastic people to be meeting up with. If what Tanki was saying was right, everyone that was here should now be gathered - save for the odd stragglers that she offhandedly mentioned - so the time for action was drawing near.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                The brief elevator ride back to the atrium was filled with an awkward silence - clearly, Susuko and Tanki were eager to distance themselves from each other as soon as possible. Given the brevity of the ride, there wasn’t exactly much time for conversation anyway as, almost as soon as the elevator had started moving, it had ground to a halt.</p><p> </p><p>                We didn’t have to wait too long for the doors open, but, as soon as they did, the silence was filled by the buzzing of constant murmurs. It took a moment for everyone to catch on, but the murmuring quickly died down as ten pairs of expectant eyes focused their gazes directly onto me.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ah, Fraulein Etsuko! You have returned!”</p><p> </p><p>                “OMG, hi guysss! Isn’t this exciting?”</p><p> </p><p>                “I should have stayed in the lounge.”</p><p> </p><p>                “This w-w-was a m-mistake.”</p><p> </p><p>                The murmuring had given way to a cacophonous wall as everyone who had gathered was now rounding on me with more questions than I could even start to progress. The sheer noise was highly startling, and it was hard to tell where to even begin.</p><p> </p><p>                “H-have you fig-figured out what’s-s-s going o-on?” Caroline stammered, struggling to make herself visible from between Kota and Blitzfeld.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yoko-darling, you seem unwell,” Hibari noted concernedly.</p><p> </p><p>                “Do we have to stay here much longer?” Mochi asked expectantly, his mind still clearly on that lost mixing bowl.</p><p> </p><p>                I quickly turned to Tanki to see if she could do anything to help stem the tide of panic, but the scowling girl was nowhere to be seen. She sure picked a good time to duck out of the tough work!</p><p> </p><p>                “Mayoko, what are we gonna do?!”</p><p> </p><p>                A voice to immediately to my left cut right through the wall of noise - I turned to face the speaker and found myself looking at Susuko, looking equal parts sceptical and concerned. Suddenly, that grounding feeling that she usually saved for petty put downs helped me to centre myself in the here and now. I took a deep breath and, from the bottom of my lungs...</p><p> </p><p>                “EVERYONE, LISTEN IN!”</p><p> </p><p>                In a matter of seconds, the din of voices had quieted down. All eyes were now on me, waiting for me to say something that could be construed as a constructive answer. Truth be told though, I was just as lost as the rest of them, and my call out just then was little more than a shot in the dark to buy myself a few brief seconds to think.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Brrm-dnk!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Before I could say anything further, a loud slamming noise came from the right - Tanki had bombastically reappeared, throwing doors open so wide that they had collided with the back wall, causing a deafening thud.</p><p> </p><p>                “Sorry for the vanishing act!” she stated flatly. “Just found the last of our crappy tagalongs.”</p><p> </p><p>                No sooner had she finished saying this that another figure came hurrying out of the doors, coming to a sudden halt as he realised how not alone he was. He seemed on the verge of saying something when a gangly shape came crashing in behind him, clutching its face in apparent agony.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, uh...hi!” he meekly cheered, wasting no time in making pleasantries.</p><p> </p><p>                And that’s when it hit me. Memories came flooding back of an encounter at the gates of Hope’s Peak Academy. I’d stood there, readying myself for the upcoming years in which I would refine my talents as an Ultimate Police Officer, when a boy made himself known to me and introduced himself.</p><p> </p><p>                A sceptical boy with a messy two-tone mullet.</p><p> </p><p>                “Mayoko...Etsuko?” spoke Jiro Kurosawa.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Ding dong, dong ding!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Before I could respond, an audio speaker, nestled high up in the ceiling above, blared to life with a simple four note jingle. This jingle was swiftly followed by loud static as a vibrant yellow screen, built into a nearby wall, blinked on, showing a scratchy display with a barely visible silhouette.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>                “Ahem! Hello…test…testi…argh, th... u…l..s m…t..n r…os. One se…”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                The intercom transmission was suddenly cut short as the mystery speaker – an eery cheerfully-voiced speaker – was no longer audible over a barrage of thudding and crashing, not too unlike the slapstick sounds of a Saturday morning anime. Eventually, the cartoonish cacophony died out and, as suddenly as the mystery figure had appeared:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>                “Ah hah! Much butter Puhuhuhuhuuuuu! Uh, anyway –</em>
</p><p>
  <em>                “This is an important announcement from the executive office of the Hope’s P- ah, screw it! I’m bored of this charade, so everybody just get to the lounge, m’kay? The lounge will be highlighted on the map application of your Student Handbooks. See you all shortly!”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Once the transmission had ended, an undercurrent of suspicious murmuring picked up amongst everyone. They were clearly startled by that sudden ominous announcement and, truth be told, I could hardly blame them - something about the unnamed speaker left me with a feeling of intense foreboding, like a rising tiding of darkness ready to swallow us whole.</p><p>                As I began gazing around the room to get a quick gauge of how everyone was feeling, something behind me caused me to jump slightly - turning on the spot swiftly, I could see that it was Heikichi, who appeared to have tapped on my shoulder. His expression was one of confusion, but it appeared to lack the foreboding unease that everyone else was struck with.</p><p> </p><p>                "Mayoko, I..." he started, seemingly unsure of how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Sorry to ask, but what's going on right now? What was with that strange video?"</p><p> </p><p>                I almost thought that Heikichi was trying to make some kind of joke to lighten the mood, but his expression was one of legitimate confusion - I couldn't say for sure but it seemed as though he really didn't have any clue what had just happened. I tried not to let my worry show too readily on my face, but I couldn't help but start over analysing all the possibilities in my mind. Thinking back on my first meeting with him in the warehouse and all of his behaviour up to now, one harrowing conclusion started to take a firm shape in my mind.</p><p> </p><p>               "Heikichi..." I began to ask, turning to face him so that he could clearly see me as I spoke. "Are you - "</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Bing!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>               Before I could finish what I wanted to ask, a high pitched sound echoed throughout the atrium, bringing everyone else to complete silence. Scanning around intently for the cause of the noise, I caught sight of Jiro, looking rather bemused, as he held out what appeared to be some kind of digital device. At first glance, it appeared to be some kind of smart phone, but the screen was displaying a mostly blank backdrop, lined by an intricate border that bore a striking resemblance to the crest of Hope's Peak Academy, repeated along the row. Soon, blocky text began to fade into view in the middle of the display, forming a short but clear statement.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>Welcome, Jiro Kurosawa</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In the words of our favourite short-lived avocado, that makes sixteen.</p><p>That's the last of our new Killing Game participants. One of the best parts of the creative process here was Albany and I sitting down to nail our cast, bit by bit. Ideas bounced around here there and everywhere until we came up with the cast as they are now, including some additional creative input from our friend, Aceofspadescosplay (follow him on IG, whilst you're at it). As it stands, I was chiefly responsible for Jiro, Carolyn, Tanki, HIromu, Blitzfeld and Kotona; Albany came up with Mayoko Susuko, Heikichi, Midori, Gennai and Takuji; and Ace set up Kota, Hibari, Chiba and Maruki. Ace didn't stay on the project too long though, so I adopted his four and rounded them out to who they are as of now.</p><p>Anyway, with all of the cast together, that just leaves one thing to do: start the game. All of that will take place in the next and final part of the Prologue, so get ready to be reunited with a certain despicable bear.</p><p>Oh, and if you're still wondering what the heck Takuji's talent is...well, you'll find that out too.</p><p>-----</p><p>Cast Suggestion Details:</p><p>Heikichi Sakoda, Ultimate Chemist<br/>David Matranga, in the style of Shoto Todoroki (My Hero Academia)</p><p>Tanki Gurenko, Ultimate Bounty HUnter<br/>Sarah Williams, in the style of Nonon Jakuzure (Kill La Kill)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Prologue: Part 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Side: Jiro</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                Once the transmission had ended, an undercurrent of suspicious murmuring picked up amongst the crowd of confused teenagers I was now a part of. Hope’s Peak Academy faculty? Student Handbooks? What’s any of that nonsense supposed to mean?</p><p>                Little of this strangeness actually made sense, but I was now starkly aware of the mysterious device clutched tightly in my left hand. Mayoko seemed to have the same realisation as me and walked up to me as I brought the device up to my face and tapped on its face. The device lit up, revealing a luminous screen on its face which, after a few seconds, displayed the words:</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Welcome, Jiro Kurosawa</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>                Well, that was rather ominous! I only just turned it on but now it knows my name? I didn’t have much time to wonder any further as the display had changed to show a number of geometric shapes arranged tightly together. One of the upper most shapes contained a blinking red dot, emitting a brief pulse, like some kind of waypoint.</p><p> </p><p>                “Can I have a look at that?” Mayoko asked politely, peering over to look at the display.</p><p> </p><p>                I couldn’t really think of a decent excuse to say no, so I just shrugged and passed it to her. Her gaze on the screen was shrewd and focused as she tried to parse some kind of meaning from the seemingly meaningless blocks. As I looked across to the rest of the waiting strangers, they were looking right at her in expectant silence, although one or two were looking across at me with suspicion - not that I could really blame them, but still.</p><p>                After a brief pause, Mayoko pulled her gaze away and turned back to face me, her gaze stern and steely.</p><p> </p><p>                “Where did you find this, Jiro?” she asked directly. The immediacy of her tone was a little disarming, to say the least.</p><p> </p><p>                “Umm, I, uh...” I mumbled, starting to get uncomfortable with everyone’s judgemental gazes. “I just kinda woke up and it was there in front of me.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Likely story, bucko!” the bubblegum-haired girl yelled accusingly, stepping right up to my face. “How convenient that you just happen to find one of these handbook things when no one else does. There something you wanna tell us?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Susuko, not now!” Mayoko shot back exhaustedly, pulling the other girl away - something tells me she’s had to deal with that a lot. “Where exactly did you wake up, Jiro?”</p><p> </p><p>                “It looked like a bedroom,” I continued, gesturing upwards and behind me. “It was just sitting there, in a little gift box - it had my name on it, so I figured why not take a look.”</p><p> </p><p>Everyone else was still regarding me with distant suspicion, as if unsure of whether to believe me or not. Was I really the only one who woke up in a bedroom, with one of these handbook things? Good job making friends and not arousing distrust, Jiro! No, really, A+!</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, c’mon, everyone! Don’t be such a bunch of buzzkills,” chirped a perky-seeming girl in a pink sailor uniform. “He just got here and you’re all giving him the Spanish Inq – totes uncool, guys!”</p><p> </p><p>                She then took a firm grip of my wrist and pulled me forward, right into the middle of the suspicious crowd, before I had any time to complain about her doing so. Her smile bored into me, like a magnified sun beam on an ant, making me feel even more uncomfortable.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, you’re Jiro, right? That’s what Mayoko called ya? I’m Chiba Aiji - it’s totes amazing to meetcha!”</p><p> </p><p>                I could do little more than give a bemused sigh at her cheery onslaught – it certainly beat having everyone be suspicious of me though, so I guess I couldn’t complain too much. One by one, the others slowly started to let their guard down and introduced themselves. From the obnoxiously overbearing Blitzfeld, to the vacantly cheerful Heikichi, they were certainly quite the colourful cast of weirdos. Still, company was company, whether I asked for it or not.</p><p>                The only who wasn’t partaking was Mayoko, who was, once again, scanning the digital device intently. I honestly had to wonder just how much she could learn from staring at it for so long - a certain quote about insanity, misattributed to Einstein, came to mind.</p><p>                It didn’t take long, but she eventually closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and turned back to us.</p><p> </p><p>                “Okay!” she projected. “It looks like we have some answers, but just as many new questions. I can’t say for sure exactly what we’re doing here, but it seems as though some...thing is waiting for us at the lounge. Whatever it is, it’s probably in our best interest to find out what it is”</p><p> </p><p>                That pause in the middle of ‘something’ wasn’t exactly reassuring. Still, it was hard to deny that we had no other options at the moment. Ominous message or not, this lounge was starting to sound like our next destination.</p><p> </p><p>                “An astute suggestion, Fraulein Etsuko!” Blitzfeld exclaimed, clapping his gloved hands together. “Whoever brought us here must surely be waiting, so it is our duty, as paragons of Hope's Peak, to investigate!”</p><p> </p><p>                Some light murmuring from the rest of the group seemed to suggest that the others agreed.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yes...uh, thank you, Blitzfeld,” Mayoko agreed earnestly. “Anyway, Hiromu! Midori! If the two of you could lead the way, could the rest of you please fol- “</p><p> </p><p>                Before Mayoko could even finish her orders, Midori daintily broke free from the crowd. The expression on her face was one of mild bemusement.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, about that...” she started awkwardly. “Umm, Hiromu kinda...left already.”</p><p> </p><p>                Mayoko immediately turned her head to scan through the crowd, presumably to see for herself that Hiromu had, indeed, turned tail and gotten a head start to the lounge. She eventually let out a beleaguered sigh before turning back to Midori</p><p> </p><p>                “Well then...in that case, could you lead the way for the others, Midori?” she asked.</p><p> </p><p>                “Alrighty, you can count on me! Come on, everyone!”</p><p> </p><p>                After giving Mayoko a quick and graceful curtsy, Midori ran back to the crowd and slipped through easily; shepherding the others behind her as she led the way through a pair of doors at the back of the atrium. Soon, it was just me and Mayoko, alone in that cavernous room.</p><p> </p><p>                “We probably shouldn’t trail too far behind everyone,” Mayoko asserted encouragingly.</p><p> </p><p>                She gave me one last smile as she followed on behind the others. Not wanting to be left alone in a creepy-ass atrium, I caught up to her as she reached the doors, slipping through just behind her.</p><p> </p><p>                Okay, truth be told, I really don’t know what’s going on here. School to blizzard to bed to mysterious building isn’t what you’d call a natural chain of events in the best of circumstances and neither is waking up with fifteen other confused teenagers, all as clueless as I was. Still, it was a little easier to relax knowing that there was at least one familiar face that I could rely on.</p><p> </p><p>                “So, uh...” I started, just now realising I had no idea what to even say to her. “Crazy situation, this, right?”</p><p> </p><p>                You certainly haven’t lost your ability to let redundant crap flop outta your mouth, have you, Jiro? Nice job!</p><p> </p><p>                “You’re right about that,” Mayoko replied. “Still, it’s good to know that we’re all in this together. Should make it easier to keep everybody safe.”</p><p> </p><p>                And there she goes again, saying ominous but determined stuff. Her moxie is still as impressive as ever. Actually, that reminds me...</p><p> </p><p>                “I just realised something: we forgot to share talents earlier,” I added. “I’m the Ultimate Editor. Not much else to really say about it, to be honest.”</p><p> </p><p>                “That does sound pretty interesting though,” Mayoko encouraged. “As for me, I’m the...the Ultimate Police Officer - in training, that is.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Ah, right! That’s good to know.”</p><p> </p><p>                That actually explains everything pretty nicely. Her determination, her attentiveness – of course she’s a cop. I’m not sure how useful a cop would be in this situation, if I must be honest, but knowing that she’s taking her job seriously is a welcome comfort. Still, that hesitation...</p><p> </p><p>                “So...pretty lively bunch, this,” I continued, curious about Mayoko’s thoughts on our fellow students.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yep, you could certainly say that again,” she chuckled. “A pretty eclectic collection, if I must say so, but I’m sure that we should all be able to work through this together.”</p><p> </p><p>                Seems like a fair assessment, given our brief reunion earlier. With people like that overzealous German guy and the bitchy girl with the bubblegum hair, it certainly isn’t gonna be a quiet stay.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, you’ve certainly made friends with them pretty easily,” I noted. “Everyone seems to respect your authority pretty well.”</p><p> </p><p>                “I suppose so,” Mayoko agreed humbly. “It’s not easy though - I’m just as in the dark as everybody else, but someone’s got to take charge. There’s just no telling what’s waiting for us in here.”</p><p> </p><p>                Talk about carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Her fortitude is really envious, but to put so much of a burden on herself...</p><p> </p><p>                “Two friends, chilling in a hallway...”</p><p> </p><p>                Out of nowhere, a sing-songy voice started reverberating around. It didn’t take long for the source to make itself known though - Takuji, poking his head around the corner, his eyes filled with mischievous joy.</p><p> </p><p>                “Five feet apart, cos they’re not - “ he continued, until stopping abruptly. “Wait, I already did that joke today. Anyway, hello, Officer!”</p><p> </p><p>                Whilst I was busy face palming at his reappearance, Takuji proceeded to skip up to Mayoko and gave an exaggerated bow.</p><p> </p><p>                “No, really, you don’t need to go that far. I’m still just in training,” Mayoko gasped, trying to downplay Takuji’s enthusiasm. “Is everything okay? Did everybody make it to the lounge alright?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Fine and dandy! Everybody’s just waiting on you two, but I just wanted to come up and say ‘Hi’. Since we didn’t get a good chance for introductions in the hurly burly earlier, I thought I could rectify that epic fail.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, of course...my apologies. I’m Mayoko Etsuko, and it looks you’ve heard already but I’m the Ultimate Police Officer, in training.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Indeed, I did! As for me...”</p><p> </p><p>                Instead of responding right away, Takuji instead took in a very deep breath, waving his arms around his chest, as if hoping to channel some invisible energy. After a brief pause, he turned his body to the side, wrapping his left arm around his waist and framing his face with his right hand, splayed open.</p><p> </p><p>                “I...am...Takuji Anzai! The Ultimate...Lord!”</p><p> </p><p>                What?</p><p> </p><p>                No, seriously, what?!</p><p> </p><p>                I don’t know if I’m making this clear enough, but what?!</p><p> </p><p>                A Lord?! With all the bizarre references and the awkward gestures? What exactly is he a Lord of? Seriously, what?!</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s...a pretty impressive talent, Takuji...” Mayoko trailed off, clearly just as confused as I was. “</p><p> </p><p>                Please, don’t encourage him. I’m still trying to figure out what reality he’s meant to have come from to be a Lord like...well, that. The last thing we need is more of his oddities.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yes, it is a most glorious, splendiferous talent,” Takuji continued melodically. “Sadly, the life of a Lord is not all sunshine and nyan nyans; but, alas, I must…persevere!”</p><p> </p><p>                With that last quip, Takuji threw his arms up and...oh for God’s sake! He freaking dabbed! I’m sorry, but there’s no way that this guy is actually a Lord. Nobles can be eccentric, but this is just –</p><p> </p><p>                “MAYOKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”</p><p> </p><p>                My last thought was abruptly cut off, as the mostly quiet hallway was now being drowned out by a cacophonous scream and frantic footsteps. Soon enough, the usually surly Susuko came hurtling around the corner at top speed, coming to a screeching halt in front of Mayoko, her eyes wide with shock.</p><p> </p><p>                “Susuko?! What’s going on?!” Mayoko asked seriously, placing a hand on Susuko’s shoulder to try and calm her down. “Just breath and tell me what happened.”</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s the...” Susuko panted, struggling to catch her breath. “...it’s the lounge...the lounge is...it’s shaking...”</p><p> </p><p>                Shaking? What the hell is that supposed to mean? How does a room just shake? If it was an earthquake, we should have felt it out here, right? This situation just keeps getting weirder.</p><p>                Mayoko didn’t waste any time on other menial questions and instantly took off down the corridor, in the direction of the others. Before I had any time to call out to her, she was gone.</p><p> </p><p>                “Come on!” she shouted back at us, before vanishing around the corner. Susuko was right behind her, leaving me alone with a very confused Takuji. Dreading another deluge of inane quips, I wasted no time in following the two girls down the corridor.</p><p> </p><p>                “I just came her to have a good time!” Takuji wailed behind me. “Honestly, I’m feeling so attacked right now.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                There wasn’t far to travel to get to the lounge, but the short distance sprint to get there left me more breathless than I could care to admit. Upon entering the lounge, things only continued to get more confusing, as everyone was scattered around the room, backs to me, gazing at...something. As I crept forward to try and get a closer look, fitting into a gap between the dumpy-looking boy, Mochi, and the darkly dressed Carolyn, that’s when it happened.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, shit! Whaddup?”</p><p> </p><p>                Well, two things happened. First, Takuji caught up and arrived in the lounge, shattering the tension in an instant with a totally inappropriate shout. After that, however…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Ding dong, dong ding!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                The jingle from earlier played again, echoing around the cavernous lounge. Shortly after, an electrical whirring, much like light radio static, began to play over some unseen speaker.</p><p> </p><p>                “Puhuhuhuhuuuuu!”</p><p> </p><p>                Over the sound of the static, a high-pitched laugh could be heard. It was an unsettling laugh; brimming with ill-intent, under a film of feigned innocence.</p><p> </p><p>                “Great to see that you’re all FINALLY here!” the voice continued, carrying on in its darkly saccharine tone. “You were taking so long to get things going out there, I was worried I might hit the bottom of my popcorn bucket.”</p><p> </p><p>                The flippancy with which the speaker addressed us was instantly irritating, but the sense of unease that I was feeling refused to abate.</p><p> </p><p>                “A-A-Are they m-mocking us?” Carolyn trembled.</p><p> </p><p>                “What on Earth is going on here?” Heikichi bemusedly added.</p><p> </p><p>                “Whoever you are, show yourself!” Blitzfeld boomed. “Ve have come here, like you asked, so enough vith the frivolity.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oooh, someone’s eager to get things started...puhu! Puhuhuhu! Well, I do hate to keep my adoring fans waiting. Ask - “</p><p> </p><p>                “And he shall appear!”</p><p> </p><p>                That last line was sharper and crisper than the rest of the mysterious voice’s speech. It was almost as if it was coming from within the lounge itself.</p><p>                From...just above us?</p><p> </p><p>                A scream like a banshee rang out throughout the lounge, coming from Chiba. One by one, everyone turned to face behind, hoping to catch a glimpse of the shocking sight. There, upon the handrail of the seating area, raised over the entrance of the lounge, a sight more shocking and surreal than any I had seen before.</p><p>                Stood a measly two and a half feet tall, the black and white figure, balanced upon the handrail, radiated an aura of purest malice that left a sour feeling in the pit of my stomach. Though it looked like a stuffed bear, the wicked grin and jagged eye that stretched across the black half of its face belied its true, sinister form.</p><p>                Everyone seemed too transfixed to say anything coherent - in the end, it was Mayoko that stepped forward to address the menacing interloper by name.</p><p> </p><p>                “Mono...kuma?!”</p><p> </p><p>                The utterance of the bear’s name had a chilling effect on the group. Confused and distressed muttering was starting to break out amongst the group, with reactions ranging from awe to disgust.</p><p> </p><p>                “But th-that’s impossible!”</p><p> </p><p>                “He can’t really be a Monokuma, right?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Is this some sick joke?!”</p><p> </p><p>                Truth be told, I was struggling myself to process the reality in front of me right now. What could even really be said about our current predicament that could do it justice? How are you supposed to react when the symbol of one of history’s biggest monsters just shows up out of nowhere, bold as brass, as if nothing had ever happened?</p><p>                This can’t actually be happening, right? No way!</p><p> </p><p>                “I know what you’re all thinking and yes!” the monochrome bear sneered, as it started to bounce jovially along the length of the handrail. “It is true: I - Monokuma, the great and terrible - have returned to this world. No acts, no tricks. It is I - live and in beareo!”</p><p> </p><p>                I didn’t even feel comfortable groaning at the abysmal pun - if that wasn’t an adequate sign of how stunned I was, I have no idea what would be.</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s...it’s just not possible!”</p><p> </p><p>                “The Tragedy is history - past tense, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>                “There’s no way that this can actually be a real Monokuma!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Hang on a minute!” the bear cut in, almost sounding offended. “I’m not just any old Monokuma. I am THE Monokuma! Ain’t nobody like me, but me!</p><p>                “Anyway, it’s been a while since I got to address an adoring crowd like this before, so do bear with me whilst I get back into the swing of things – twenty years or so does make a bear rusty, y’know?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Just cut the crap, Shittie The Pooh!” Tanki barked. “I don’t give a flying fuck if you’re legit or not: just get to the god damn point! All of us were meant to be arriving at Hope’s Peak Academy, yet we’re suddenly in the middle of God knows where, with no idea how or why – it’s pretty fuckin’ obvious that you’re the bastard behind all of this...somehow...so spit it out already, before I turn you into a novelty toaster!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Are you, uh, sure it’s a good idea to pick a fight with this guy, Tanki?” Midori tremulously asked.</p><p> </p><p>                Everyone else seemed to have a similar degree of apprehension, but Tanki remained unmoved. She just stared up, unflinchingly, at Monokuma and gave a non-committal grunt - this girl’s got adamantium balls or something.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, the youth of today: so ignorant of the way things used to be,” Monokuma continued, seemingly unperturbed. “But I guess that’s to be expected - very well, you’ve twisted my paw. I’ll ‘cut the crap’, as you so eloquently put it.”</p><p> </p><p>                Monokuma then slipped backwards off the handrail, landing with a soft thud on the raised floor below; he then pulled himself forward, sliding his legs between the bars of the barrier as he let out what could only be described as a morose sigh.</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m not just any old Monokuma, y’see? As much as it breaks my nonexistent heart to admit it, I’m the last Monokuma. The end of the line, the final problem child, the last bear standing!</p><p>                “All alone, in a hope-filled world; my empire of anarchy nothing but a fleeting memory, used to scare ungrateful children; it’s just so sickeningly sad, ya know?!”</p><p> </p><p>                Without provocation, Monokuma broke into an embarrassingly over the top crying fit - no tears fell, obviously, but it was absurdly off putting all the same. Thankfully, the performative crying came to a swift stop - Monokuma must have realised that none of us were buying it.</p><p> </p><p>                “The worst part of all this, of course - the saddest, most cruelest tragedy, at least for me - is that youngsters like yourselves will never again know the bitter sting of despair.</p><p>                “You’re not just any old Ultimates, after all - you’re the new generation. The first round of kids to be squirted out into this miserable old crap sack of a world with no trace of The Tragedy. The first generation to be born free from the chains of despair. It’s just so lame!”</p><p> </p><p>                With intense emphasis on that last ‘lame’, Monokuma pulled himself back and performed an unsettling somersault to get back on top of the handrail, whereupon he began to pace back and forth along it.</p><p> </p><p>                “So that’s when it occurred to me - despair lost the war, but who says I gotta be a gracious loser? Who says I can’t scream and thrash, like a spoiled brat that just found out he was adopted? I don’t have much time left in me anyway, so I decided that now would be the perfect time to carry out my grand finale - my final firework of delicious despair, if you will!”</p><p> </p><p>                “So that’s why you abducted us?” Kota asked sternly. “A petty little act of revenge to spite the world that rejected you? If the format of this strange excursion is to be believed, then that can mean only one thing.”</p><p> </p><p>                I was thankful that Kota decided not to finish that sentence but, if he was implying what I thought he was, then the answer was dead obvious - poor choice of words, I know.</p><p> </p><p>                “I call it the Killing School Retreat,” Monokuma continued, his voice dripping with salacious glee. “It works on two levels, ya see? It’s because I’m a bear in full retreat and this is school retreat which will see y’all engaging in a magical ménage of murder! My ultimate middle finger to a world that thinks it has turned its back on despair for good!</p><p>                “Of course, the school part is a load of bullpucky, seeing as how we all know I have as much to do with Hope’s Peak Academy as a wet jigsaw puzzle does to a Sunday night orgy, but who am I to break the naming convention of a lifetime?”</p><p> </p><p>                As soon as he finished speaking, I felt a sharp vibration going off in my pocket - the handbook, no doubt. Upon taking it out, I found that the screen was active, displaying a garish wall of text, as a sickeningly bouncy piece of music started to play from the handbook’s speaker, attracting everyone’s attention.</p><p>                With all eyes once again on me, I looked down at the foreboding message and, with much reluctance, began to read aloud:</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Welcome to The Killing School Retreat</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>For the foreseeable future, you - the shining generation of new hope - will be permanent guests at this fine establishment: the Babel Mons Grand Lodge.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                “Babel Mons? The vorld famous holiday destination, slash mountain research facility?” Blitzfeld interrupted, his interest piqued. “I had heard of this place a great many times, but - “</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey!” Monokuma screeched. “Cut it out with that exposition of crap that no one cares about! Now, Jiro, do continue explaining the charmingly intricate details of my wonderful game!”</p><p> </p><p>                I could do little more than groan at Monokuma’s petulant retort, so I turned back to the wall of text, still not sure if I was quite ready to read what was coming up:</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>You will all live out the remainder of your sorry lives here. Food, water and extracurricular activities have been provided for your nutrition/leisure, so no need to worry about starvation or boredom.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>If, however, you’re not prepared to live out a life of luxury atop a gorgeous mountain, in a world class resort/research station, there is, of course, one very simple escape clause...drumroll, please.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Kill one of your classmates and get away with it!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                Upon my delivery of that dreaded K word, distressed whispering had started to build amongst the group. I wanted to quit reading; but Monokuma’s gleeful titters made me angry enough to want to get this over with, if only to shut him up quicker:</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>In the event that a student is murdered, the surviving students will participate in a class trial. Attendance is mandatory, so don’t get any funny ideas about playing hooky – I have measures in place for unruly students.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>During the class trial, students will be tasked with identifying the blackened killer by debating amongst themselves, with the evidence at hand. Debating will ensue until an answer is reached or until Monokuma gets bored.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Once debating has come to a close, a vote will be held to determine the identity of the blackened - the student with the most votes will be judged as guilty.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Vote correctly and the blackened will be punished for their crime(s) and the remaining students will continue the game.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Vote incorrectly, however, and the true blackened will go free and earn the right to leave the game. All remaining students will be punished in their place.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>And, by punished, I, of course, mean gruesomely executed. Puhuhuhuuu!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>That sums up the basic rules of the Killing School Retreat. Pretty efficient, right?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                By the time I’d finished reading, the whispering from earlier had continued to build in intensity until I could no longer here myself think.</p><p> </p><p>                “Th-this is i-i-imposs-sible, right?”</p><p> </p><p>                “There’s just no way - we’re in a Killing Game?!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Just saying it sounds disgusting! This is unreal!”</p><p> </p><p>                “I can’t take this! I wanna go home!”</p><p> </p><p>                The bear then started to chuckle, clearly revelling in our confusion and upset. If he was looking to spread despair, he was off to a damn fine start.</p><p> </p><p>                “Try as you might, there’s no escaping this reality - where flowers of hope threaten to bloom, Monokuma will surely appear, ready to bring back the orgasmic bliss that is despair!</p><p>                “I - Monokuma - am the very face of despair itself. As long as humanity has the potential for despair, I shall never die! PUHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!”</p><p> </p><p>                Chuckling soon gave way to a maniacal paroxysm of mirth. If he wasn’t trying to balance on the handrail, he’d no doubt have slipped and fallen off by now.</p><p>                This was just too much to believe. An actual, real life Monokuma had just appeared out of nowhere, having apparently kidnapped us somehow, and now we were forced to take part in a Killing Game? An actual freaking Killing Game?!</p><p>                I’d put up with enough bizarre things today, but this was the end of what I would tolerate. Like a child in denial, I started to hurriedly pinch my arm, hoping beyond hope that I would wake up in my bed back home; face slathered in drool, as I lazily swatted at my alarm clock. Try as I might though, my efforts were in vain - no matter I did, nothing could smother the distressed din around me.</p><p> </p><p>                “No!”</p><p> </p><p>                Except that. The lounge became silent in an instant as a single voice penetrated the wall of noise.</p><p> </p><p>                “Whaaa?!” Monokuma gasped. “Did somebody say ‘No!’ just then? Don’t try to deny it - I have a microphone in my bellybutton and a playback speaker up my butthole, so there’s no use in hiding yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>                Way too much info! Before I had a chance to wince at the mental image, someone strode forward, out of the apprehensive crowd and stood ready at attention, gazing at the upper floor. Though I couldn’t see through the back of her head, I could only imagine resolute look in Mayoko’s eyes as she stared down Monokuma; her fists clenched tightly either side of her.</p><p> </p><p>                “It was me,” she proclaimed forcefully - her usually welcoming conversational tone had hardened to one of strict defiance, like some kind of switch in her brain had been flicked on.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ah, so you must be...umm...ugh...” Monokuma continued lackadaisically. “Actually, I have no idea - I don’t have much of a memory for tryhards. Who’re you again?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Mayoko Etsuko: Ultimate Police Officer, in - “</p><p> </p><p>                Mayoko gasped as she seemed to catch that last slip of the tongue. She’d clearly been introducing herself as an Ultimate ‘in training’ all this time, but she clearly realised, perhaps a second too late, that this wasn’t the time for earnestness.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ultimate Police Officer, in?” Monokuma caught on mockingly. “In what, Mayoko? Incompetent? Incoherent? Maybe even incontinent?”</p><p> </p><p>                Please, just shut up! My sanity is already at breaking point because of your mere existence. Please, Mayoko, say something to shut him up for good. Anything.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ultimate Police Officer - nothing more or less,” Mayoko continued, gulping as she found her resolve once again. “I’ve been selected by Hope’s Peak Academy for a reason and, although this is...unorthodox, it’s clear that this is exactly the kind of situation that I was meant to intervene in.</p><p>                “I don’t care about your game, Monokuma; I don’t care about your misery; I don’t care about any of what you have to say! I made a vow to myself when I accepted the offer of Hope’s Peak Academy: that I would do my duty and not allow any of my future classmates to come to harm.</p><p>                “You can stand there and laugh, if you want, but I’m telling you, here and now: we will not be a part of your twisted game!”</p><p> </p><p>                Holy crap! Where the hell did that come from?!</p><p>                Where previous silence had been caused by fear or mistrust, this was nothing short of sheer awe - all eyes were on Mayoko as she stood firm against Monokuma’s insane proclamations. The bear himself was clearly a little thunderstruck himself, as it took him a good solid half minute to respond.</p><p> </p><p>                “Is that so?” Monokuma asked, his cheerful voice dropping to a sinister sneer. “Puhuhuhu! Well, if that’s the way it’s gonna be...”</p><p> </p><p>                All of a sudden, a fierce, sonorous wind started to rattle against the windows of the lounge, as a hellish hailstorm whirred to life outside.</p><p> </p><p>                “Mountain gods of snow and sky, I beg of thee, please hear my cry!”</p><p> </p><p>                As the storm outside built in intensity, I barely picked up on Monokuma muttering absurd nonsense - insane talk of gods and rituals and storms.</p><p> </p><p>                Wait, is this all his doing? Don’t be stupid, Jiro! A robot teddy bear can’t create supernatural weather out of nowhere. That’s just way too absurd, right?</p><p> </p><p>                “By the ancient rite of Qikiqtarjuakuma, I invoke the ancient and forbidden summoning magic!</p><p>                “Now, awaken to this Killing Game, as I call your name! KO! RI! KUMA!”</p><p> </p><p>                What happened next was what could only be described as a fever dream having a nightmare. Upon delivery of the final command, two immense shapes came crashing through the windows on either side of the chimney, landing with a deafening thud upon the floor of the lounge.</p><p>                As the figures began to stand up, heavy footsteps began to echo all around - more of the mysterious figures were entering the lounge from all sides, slowly but ominously.</p><p>                Eventually, the sounds came to a halt, as the platoon of burly interlopers came to a stop all around us, allowing us to take in their grotesquely absurd appearance. At a glance, they seemed to resemble Monokuma, but these giant bear bots, each one a horrifying seven foot tall, were even more hideous.</p><p>                Their outer shells were entirely white, coated in various places by a translucent blue substance, positioned almost like sentai armour; both eyes resembling the crimson mark that adorned the black side of Monokuma’s own face; and a wicked scowl, stretching across both halves of its blank face.</p><p> </p><p>                “Not so defiant now, are ya, ya little bastards?!” Monokuma cackled, flanked by a trio of the mechanical nightmares atop his lofty perch. “That’s to be expected, of course - no human has ever stood toe to toe with a Korikuma and lived to tell the tale!”</p><p> </p><p>                Korikuma? Is that what these disturbing monstrosities are called? At least he’s keeping on brand, I guess...the hell are you doing, think that now, Jiro?!</p><p> </p><p>                “These hideous, horrible hulks are my private little army, here to make sure the game runs without a hitch. They are ruthless, fearless-“</p><p> </p><p>                Monokuma didn’t have time to answer, as one of the Korikumas, stood directly behind him, brought its immense fist down in one swift motion. Monokuma was instantly crushed beneath the weight of the larger bear’s fist, showering several small chunks of metal over the edge of the handrail.</p><p>                I almost couldn’t believe what I’d just seen. Was that actually it? Had some merciful god taken pity on us and given us just one small moment of reprieve?</p><p> </p><p>                “And, apparently, witless!”</p><p> </p><p>                Of course not. Gods don’t actually exist, so why the hell did I think that it would be that easy? That was definitely Monokuma’s voice, coming from the raised platform, but where the insidious bear was lying in wait was yet to be seen?</p><p> </p><p>                “Grizz Tornado!”</p><p> </p><p>                Our worries were soon answered as Monokuma came spiralling through the chest of the Korikuma that had flattened him. Having made his violent reappearance, the two tone bear once again took his place upon that handrail of his, growling in frustration.</p><p> </p><p>                “Grrrggghhh! Just can’t get the staff these days! What the hell was that, you useless sack of crap?!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Mal-func-tion!” the larger bear droned, it’s voice rough and clunky. “Ko-ri-kuma will report for main-tenance.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah and get that voice chip of yours sorted out too. You sound like that guy that told his life story to people on a bench - God, I hated that movie!”</p><p> </p><p>                After giving a low bow, the Korikuma proceeded out of the lounge, seemingly unbothered by the gaping hole in its chest. Though slow and lumbering, it didn’t take long for it to vanish into the corridor beyond.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Kdnk! Kdnk! Kdnk!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                “And the rest of you buckets of bolts can clear out as well! My point’s been made, so go do something useful, like wax your shoulder spikes or something.”</p><p> </p><p>                Just as the first did, the other Korikumas began to slowly file out of the lounge. By the time that their heavy footsteps had vanished into the distance, the room was once again silent. Apparently, no one could really think of anything to say about what had just happened.</p><p>                Well, I certainly had more than a few questions. He’d said he was the last Monokuma, didn’t he? The actual last one, right? What the hell was that charade all about then? Was he just trying to fuck with us?</p><p> </p><p>                “I know what you’re all thinking, so let me explain,” Monokuma mockingly started. “When I said that I was the last Monokuma, I meant to say that I was the last Monokuma AI - I have spare bodies up the wazoo, like all my game-hosting predecessors, but the me that lives in these bodies is a bona fide last of his kind Monokuma.</p><p>                “Sorry about running you around with that technicality, but I feel like I’ve made my point, so I’ll just assume that all is forgiven.”</p><p> </p><p>                “And your point is...” Tanki growled, staring harshly enough to burn a hole through that sickeningly smug bear. I was actually starting to wish that the phrase ‘stare daggers’ could be interpreted literally for once.</p><p> </p><p>                “That this is serious. This isn’t just one of your holiday games, little Crimson Child: this Killing Game is the real deal. The Korikumas are my hired muscle, here to make sure that you all comply with the rules of my game, so you’d be wise not to get on their bad side.</p><p>                “Even if you can outwit them - easy as that sadly appears to be - I myself won’t be going down so easily. I’m here til your bitter end, so don’t you go forgetting that.”</p><p> </p><p>                Having finally said his piece, Monokuma backflipped off of the handrail and began to waddle out of sight, pulling the door shut behind him as he whispered one last farewell to us.</p><p> </p><p>                “Enjoy your stay!”</p><p> </p><p>                For the last time tonight, the lounge was caught in a near spellbound silence. The last few minutes had been like something out of a David Lynch movie, in which we were, unfortunately, the unlucky schmucks trapped in the absurd narrative. I looked around at the rest of my classmates, hoping to find some kind of solace, only to see the same confusion and discontent in their eyes as well.</p><p>                I saw Carolyn, trembling at one of the oaken tables, as Midori and Hibari each held onto one of her shoulders, to try and comfort her; Kota, kneeling down to hold a panicky Mochi, as he himself struggled to make sense of what was going on; and, off in the corner, Mayoko was having a hushed conversation with Heikichi, while Susuko eyed them up suspiciously.</p><p> </p><p>                I let out a deep, beleaguered sigh as I brought my hands to my face, just about ready to collapse in an exhausted heap onto the carpet below. I wanted to be anywhere but here right. I continued to hope that I would wake up any second, late for school, like any normal teenager, but reality came crashing back once again; the reality that I wished beyond all hope was not mine.</p><p>                That I was in a Killing Game. Me - Jiro Kurosawa - in a Killing Game. Just imagining those words, strung together like that, felt wrong.</p><p> </p><p>                “Uh...excuse me, everyvun!”</p><p> </p><p>                The spell was broken. Someone had finally spoken up, to try and address the cold hard truth of what we faced. I turned around to see that it was Blitzfeld, his mighty frame silhouetted against the now crackling fireplace - I guess he felt the need to light it, for some reason.</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m, err...” Blitzfeld attempted to continue, seemingly at a loss for words, for once. “I do not know quite how to say this - we are still, undeniably, in shock, after all - but something needs to be said, regardless.”</p><p> </p><p>                “So spit it out then!” Susuko interjected bitterly. “You like being so large and in charge, so how about you tell us what you wanna say...or are you just flash and no bang?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Fraulein Kamei, please! This isn’t easy, I assure you - “</p><p> </p><p>                “Well then, stop wasting our god damn time! There’s no power of friendship speech that you can pull out of your ass to make everything better, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Susuko, please!” Kotona cut in pleadingly. “Clearly, he’s scared, just like the rest of us, but we can’t afford to turn on each other.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Division is what Monokuma wants,” Hibari jumped in, strutting back towards the group, leaving Midori to care for the tear-stricken Carolyn. “We start fighting amongst ourselves and we give him exactly what he asked for.”</p><p> </p><p>                “His cruelty is an unending abyss of malice,” Hiromu added. “It’s all well and good to recognise his intentions, but it will do us no good if we cannot take proactive steps to prevent his desires from coming to fruition.”</p><p> </p><p>                Hiromu’s words, florid though they were, did little to ease the tension in the room. Everyone just continued to look around fleetingly - from the floor, to each other, to the floor again. The sheer hopelessness of the situation just would not abate.</p><p> </p><p>                “I...I just...” Susuko muttered, shaking all over, as her emotional outburst had appeared to have run its course.</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s okay, Susuko,” Mayoko calmly stated, walking up to the distraught cheerleader and placing an arm upon her shoulder. “I’m scared too - trust me, I am - but I meant what I said earlier.”</p><p> </p><p>                She then turned to the rest of us, raising her voice so that we could all hear.</p><p> </p><p>                “As long as I’m here, I won’t allow Monokuma to tear us apart with this game of his. I swear it, on my honour as the Ultimate Police Officer.”</p><p> </p><p>                Her voice seemed to be a smidge less confident than before, but there was no mistaking the fire in her eyes continued to burn. I have no idea if she can actually deliver what she was promising - truth be told, I’d struggle to think of anyone that could - but her conviction was sincere.</p><p>                From the sombre silence, a gentle, sonorous clap could be heard. The source of the clapping was BliItzfeld, his earlier reticence no longer visible beneath the warm smile on his face.</p><p> </p><p>                “I could not have said it better, Fraulein Etsuko,” he uttered calmly. “Your determination rings true, so I vill endeavour to live up to your example - I vill not give in to despair so easily!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Precisely!” Kota concurred, standing up to face the rest of the group. “I, for one, don’t intend to allow that devilish bear to have the last laugh - to do so would be utterly malséant.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, Kota’s right!” Chiba beamed, pumping her fists energetically. “It would be totes bummerific to let Monokuma have his way just like that - serious hashtag buzzkill!”</p><p> </p><p>                Totes bummerific? Hashtag buzzkill? Compared to everyone else’s poetic displays, that was a little...uh, dumb. Still, her intent was admirable, and it did seem to contribute to the positive upturn in the group’s mood. Indeed, the undercurrent of gloom was starting to be replaced with something resembling cautious optimism. That is, until...</p><p> </p><p>                “Yay, woo, yippee! Ain’t this fuckin’ swell?”</p><p> </p><p>                Just when we were starting to feel good about ourselves, in comes Tanki to tank the mood...wait, I swear that wasn’t intentional...oh, what the hell.</p><p> </p><p>                “Happy as I am that we’re on our way to a hand-holdy friendship circle, that doesn’t exactly change our reality in any way - we still need to figure out what we’re gonna do moving forward.”</p><p> </p><p>                Sadly, she had a point, try as we could to avoid it: the unfortunate reality of the situation would need to be addressed sometime soon and there was little that we could do to deny it.</p><p> </p><p>                “How about we discuss it in the morning, Tanki?” Mayoko suggested. “It’s starting to get pretty dark outside, and I think we’ve all had enough excitement for one day.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Tch! Fine!” she relented. “So, where are we supposed to be hitting the hay then?”</p><p> </p><p>                “W-W-We found some d-d-d-dorms earlier,” Carolyn spoke up, still struggling to tie a sentence together through her obvious discomfort. “L-Looked like they had b-b-bedrooms ready for all of us.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Come to think of it, didn’t you say that you woke up in a bedroom yourself, Jiro?” Mochi added curiously.</p><p> </p><p>                Oh yeah! I was a little caught off by everyone immediately getting suspicious of me earlier, but I suppose I’m the only one to have visited the boys dorms.</p><p> </p><p>                “Jiro!” Mayoko said, calling my attention. “Could I trust you to show the boys to the dorms?”</p><p> </p><p>                There really wasn’t much point in saying no, so I gave her a quick nod and moved towards the lounge doors, waving to get the attention of the other boys. Once they’d all formed a group in front of me, I turned back to Mayoko, for one last nod, and proceeded out of the lounge.</p><p> </p><p>                Though the journey back to the dorms was short, it somehow felt like an eternity. The harrowing reality that we would have to face in the morning still weighed heavily in my stomach, so that feeling had to be natural.</p><p>                Still, in spite of that, one bright spot remained that gave me just a tiny bit of optimism; one last sliver of hope that gave me reason to believe that we might, perhaps get through this. As I collapsed face first, back onto the bed that I’d first woken up on, with Mayoko’s words of conviction fresh in my mind, one thought continued to rattle around in my brain as I drifted out of consciousness.</p><p> </p><p>                Boy, have I always been this pathetically cheesy?</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>PROLOGUE: END</strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And here we are, with the end of the prologue (finally).</p><p>Apologies that this has gone up a week after I'd have hoped - last Sunday was a bit of a full day for me and I didn't end up getting home until past 8PM, at which point I hadn't the energy to really be getting on with posting. Also, this world-stopping pandemic has made work kinda crazy at the moment, so my mind has been a little elsewhere, for the time being.</p><p>Either way, all of the groundwork has now been laid and the Killing Game can finally commence. It'll be a little while before I can update the story, as my writing energy has been fairly depleted, as of late. I'll try to give myself a month to get all of Chapter 1 ready for weekly uploads, but I won't set anything in stone as, like I said, the world's kinda upside-down right now.</p><p>Still, I hope that those of you that have stuck around for now have enjoyed the story so far and, now that the prologue is over and done with, the fun can actually begin.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 1: Daily Life (Mayoko Part 1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Killing Game has begun again!</p><p>As everyone reels from the evening's grim proceedings, Mayoko steels herself for the challenges that lie ahead. With the appearance of an unexpected visitor the next morning, it appears that she may not be as alone in this as she first believed, at least.</p>
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    <p>
  <em>Side: Mayoko</em>
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  <em>Babel Mons Grand Lodge</em>
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  <em>2F – Girl’s Dormitory Hallway</em>
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<hr/><p> </p><p>                “I, uh…I guess this is m-my room th-then.”</p><p> </p><p>                Shortly after Jiro had led the rest of the boys to their dorms, I followed suit, chaperoning the girls to ours. It didn’t take long until we were back at the corridor where Susuko and I had first run into Carolyn and Gennai, with the pixel art doors causing a bit of a stir as we arrived. Once the initial scepticism wore off, everyone gradually made their way into the rooms marked by the plaques that most resembled them. At this point, I was standing with Carolyn, at the far end of the corridor; her room was opposite Hibari’s.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, uh… I g-g-guess this is goodn-n-night,” she trembled, clearly still wavering from our harrowing ordeal with Monokuma earlier. She was clearly in no fit state to sleep yet.</p><p>                Not wanting to just leave her on her own when it was clear that she was anything but fine, I threw my hand onto her door before she could finish closing it, cause her to gasp sharply.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, uh, sorry about that Carolyn,” I meekly apologised, a little amused at my sudden forcefulness. “But…look, I know that this has gotta be a pretty nerve-wracking situation – trust me, I’m barely keeping it together myself – but I meant what I said back in the lounge. I’ll make sure that we get through this. We’ll talk more about it in the morning, so make sure to get some rest, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>                Carolyn’s eyes fell gradually to the ground as she tried to take in all that I told her. I really hoped that my attempt at a pep talk was able to quell her insecurity, if only a little. Eventually, she pulled her gaze back up and locked eyes with me again, trying her best to muster up a smile.</p><p> </p><p>                “Th-thanks, Mayoko.”</p><p> </p><p>                With that last sombre attempt at positivity, Carolyn closed the door to her room, cutting off what sounded like an exhausted sign. Truth be told, I could hardly blame her right now for feeling that way, but now was not the time to be dwelling on that feeling.</p><p>                As I turned back to head back down the hallway towards my own room, I noticed that Kotona’s door was ever so slightly ajar. The moment I focused my gaze in its direction…</p><p> </p><p>                “Oops,” Kotona gasped cheerily, peeking out of the slight crack. “I guess you found me out - I’m sorry for eavesdropping.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Is everything okay, Kotona?” I asked warily, edging closer to her as she opened the door wider.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, it’s nothing, really. It’s just...”</p><p> </p><p>                Kotona started absentmindedly toying with a strand of her hair that fell beside her face, seemingly trying to find the right words to express herself. When she appeared to have made up her mind, she rather boisterously pumped her fists in front of her chest and looked me square in the eye with a glorious smile.</p><p> </p><p>                “You really are amazing, Mayoko!” she beamed radiantly. Truth be told, the warmth of her smile was rather disarming, but it was hard to deny that it put me into a better mood.</p><p> </p><p>                “I, uh,” I gasped bashfully. “Honestly, I’m just trying to do what I can. Really, it’s nothing that anyone else in my position wouldn’t do.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Even so, it’s clear how important it is to you to keep us safe and that alone is enough. I’ll make sure to do my best so that you don’t have to shoulder this alone.”</p><p> </p><p>                Once again, she flashed that warm smile in my direction and, feeling more relaxed in myself, responded with an appreciative smile of my own.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, I shan’t keep you too long. Good night!”</p><p> </p><p>                With a delicate bow, she gently closed the door behind her. For a moment, I kinda just let myself relax in the moment, happy to know that at least one person appeared to have taken my declaration to heart. It was truly heart-warming…</p><p> </p><p>                “Well well well, looks like you already have yourself a little brown-noser!”</p><p> </p><p>                …in sharp contrast to something I really should have been expecting by now.</p><p>                Cutting through the tension with all the precision of a cudgel, Susuko made herself known with another of her snide remarks. I turned swiftly, catching sight of her leaning casually against the frame of her fully ajar door.</p><p> </p><p>                “You know, I really don’t get that chick,” Susuko continued, in a blasé tone, as I trudged paced back up the hallway to my own door. “Sure, her talent is totally phoney, but does she really have to come across as such a tryha-“</p><p> </p><p>                “Susuko, cut it out,” I groaned tiredly. “You really don’t have to keep up this front of yours all the time – I get that you’re just as scared as the rest of us, so could you, I dunno, dial it down a bit?”</p><p> </p><p>                “What?!” she gasped indignantly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about – what ya see is what ya get, sistah, a-and I wasn’t even th-that interested in the first place, s-so there!”</p><p> </p><p>                Susuko lingered on that last flustered syllable for a second before sliding back and slamming her door shut with a shocking degree of force.</p><p>                She could try and lie to me as much as she wanted but I knew how hard this had to be on her. I mean, it’s pretty hard on all of us, no doubt. Regardless, I had to keep moving forward to make sure that we could all get out of this in one piece, as this was the role that I had set for myself.</p><p> </p><p>                “Good night, Susuko,” I sighed faintly, as I made the last few steps towards the door of what looked like my room. Taking a firm grip on the handle, I gave it a twist and set foot inside, closing the door, just behind me.</p><p>                The moment I did, my legs gave way beneath me and I collapsed to my knees. Now that I didn’t have to pour all of my effort into maintaining a strong front in front of everybody, I could finally breathe out and acknowledge the horror before me, without fear of letting anyone else catch on to my own anxieties.</p><p> </p><p>                I was in a Killing Game. There was no way around this simple, immutable fact.</p><p> </p><p>                I’d surprised even myself with how firmly I stood against Monokuma earlier, trying my hardest not to let a single crease of fear show upon my face as I stared him down. Of course, I could tell that he didn’t buy my act for a second - he surely must’ve known of my panic attack down in the basement, if he wasn’t, as I’d suspected, directly responsible - but persevere I did, if only so that everyone else could have some minute peace of mind.</p><p>                They all tried to put on a strong front, just as I did, but I could not help but shake that unerring feeling, in the back of my head, that it was all for naught. After all, my words, no matter how confidently I tried to deliver them, were merely words – in the face of a threat as real and ruthless as an actual Killing Game, they may have served as little more than padding to fill the tense air of the moment. I started to feel a painful wave of dread rise up within, threatening to engulf me, until…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>                “You really are amazing, Mayoko!”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Just then, Kotona’s words of encouragement fluttered back to the surface of my mind, as sincere as they were when she first uttered them – it may not have seemed like it to her, but Kotona’s words were all I needed to know that I must’ve done something right. It was amazing just how much a few small words could make such a difference.</p><p>                Just then, I felt a small sensation, almost like a pin drop, on the back of my hand. As I removed the sleek cotton glove from my right hand and instinctively reached for my face, I felt it again - a slow but steady stream of tears was rolling down my face.</p><p> </p><p>                It really has been a long day, hasn’t it?</p><p> </p><p>                I stood up slowly and, after rubbing my eyes on my sleeve, headed right for the silky single bed that lay against the back wall of the room. Too tired to even get undressed, I slipped under the soft sheets and, after not even ten minutes, felt myself drifting off to sleep.</p><p>                Whatever lay in wait for us, it would have to be tomorrow’s problem – worrying about it any longer right now would do nothing more than delay the rest that I was so clearly in need of. If I was to truly give my best performance for everyone tomorrow, I would need to ensure that I was as refreshed as I could possibly be.     </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>CHAPTER 1</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Alma Materhorn</strong>
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<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>Monokuma Theatre:</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Why, hello there! Thank you all for waiting!</em>
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</p><p>
  <em>I know how antsy you wacky kids can be, with your grimdark humour and your existential dread.</em>
</p><p>
  
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  <em>The world is a messy place, so we all need our little creature comforts to hide from the ever present fear that you’re all gonna be dead in five minutes.</em>
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  <em>That’s why I like to indulge in crappy fanfiction, you see? The thrill of finding a little labour of creative expression that stops abruptly after five chapters because the author had better things to do.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Without your regular update, you suddenly remember that the world is ugly and full of things trying to eat you alive…like bears. That’s why fanfiction is such a treat, y’see?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Leaving people hanging is just so much fun. I may know a musician or two that can attest to that.</em>
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<hr/><p> </p><p>                I can’t say for sure what caused me to stir at last, but stir I did as I started to gradually awaken from my sleep. Looking around with my tired eyes, I could see that I was still here, upon the impossibly plush bed in the wood-panelled room, in the middle of God knows where. It was incredibly naïve of me to expect so, but a small part of me was still hoping that I would awaken in my own room, none the wiser to all of the horrid sights I had to endure yesterday. Reality had never been so disappointing.</p><p>                I glanced around the room to get some kind of sense of my bearings and found myself staring at a rounded wall clock, mounted above the door – the time read 06:34am. I couldn’t really guess how long I’d been asleep for, having been too tired to really take notice of the clock in my exhausted state last night, but it felt as though a sizeable amount of time had passed between now and then.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Knock knock knock!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                I bolted to attention as three knocks rang out on my door. I pondered for a moment whether it would be better to leave whoever it was and wait for them to go – that small, irrational part of my brain leading me to think what if – before deciding that I didn’t want to risk leaving it be, just in case someone was in need of legitimate help.</p><p>                I swung out of bed and slipped my shoes back on, stretching my arms to try and warm myself up, if even a little, and strode across the room to the door. Hesitating for a moment as I reached for the handle, stopping to consider that small, irrational thought of mine from earlier. Just then I noticed a chain on the doorframe and, just to be safe, I attached the chain to the door  – good to know that this place has some kind of personal security, I guess.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, good! Your awake,” Tanki snarked flatly, her scowl framed by the slim crack of the door.</p><p> </p><p>                “Tanki?” I gasped, taken a little aback by her appearance, of all the possible visitors. “Wh-what is it? Is everything okay?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, aside from being trapped in a mountain lodge, in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere, forced to play a Killing Game; yeah, everything’s peachy!”</p><p> </p><p>                Okay, that probably wasn’t the best question to ask, given our situation. Still, did she really have to word it so harshly?</p><p> </p><p>                “Sorry, I didn’t really get much sleep, and lack of sleep turns me into a really tight-ass bitch.”</p><p> </p><p>                I had to fight a serious urge to point out that she was always uptight, but I didn’t want to give her – or anybody else, really – a reason to hate me, so I let that thought die in my mind. Clearly, Tanki was hoping that I would point it out, as she let out a disappointed sigh.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, have you got a minute? I feel like we have things to discuss and we should probably get it done before anybody else gets any ideas.”</p><p> </p><p>                I didn’t find her tone all that encouraging, but I had to admit she had a point, so I unhooked the chain from the door and pulled it with me as I stepped back, allowing Tanki entry into my room. After setting foot inside, she began to methodically stalk around, taking extra care to assess every seemingly minute detail, right down to the most innocuous crease in the bedsheets. It felt rather invasive, but I suppose being thorough was part and parcel of her bounty hunting routine.</p><p>                Just when it seemed she was done however...</p><p> </p><p>                “The fuck is wrong with your bathroom?!”</p><p> </p><p>                That was a little out of nowhere. Wait, did she say bathroom?</p><p> </p><p>                “I dunno,” I answered bemusedly, joining her at the back of the room, at an ajar doorway. “Honestly, I just went straight to bed after coming in – I was still pretty exhausted after…well, you know.”</p><p> </p><p>                Now that I was getting a look at the bathroom myself, I could see what Tanki meant - every surface was a dull grey, comprised of grimy stone tiles and daunting brickwork that was as unorganised as it was uninviting. If it weren’t for the shower, toilet and wall-mounted sink, you’d be hard pressed to even call it a bathroom – truth be told, the feel that the room gave off made it feel more like...</p><p> </p><p>                “Looks like some kinda S&amp;M dungeon,” Tanki snickered. “Never really took ya for the type, y’know? Want me to tell chem boy?”</p><p> </p><p>                Tanki, what the hell?! Can’t you just let that go? Just what in the world is going through your mind most of the time?</p><p>                “What?! N-no, I’d, uh…” I hastily spluttered, trying my very best to stop myself from flushing bright scarlet. “I’d say it’s more like a prison cell. At least, that’s what I think.”</p><p> </p><p>                Tanki paused for a deliberately long time at my suggestion. I was almost starting to dread her eventual response as she mirthfully scanned her gaze from me to the room and back, more times than could possibly be necessary.</p><p>                “Prison cell, huh?” she finally said flatly. “I guess that makes more sense – you are the Ultimate Cop, right?”</p><p> </p><p>                Ultimate Police Officer, yes; and a prison cell certainly makes much more sense than your suggestion. Now, please don’t say that ever again.</p><p> </p><p>                “Must be Monokuma’s way of taunting you then. That little fuzzy bastard’s probably hoping you’ll end up chucking one of us in here for insubordination or something. Might not end up being a bad idea, in the long run…”</p><p> </p><p>                “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked suspiciously, catching the knowing tone in Tanki’s voice at that last remark. Surely, she wasn’t suggesting what I thought she was.</p><p> </p><p>                “You know exactly what I mean.”</p><p> </p><p>                Her response was as curt and to-the-point as it could have been. She then spun on her heel and stared me dead in the eye, a disarmingly serious frown etched onto her face.</p><p>                “That’s why I swung by so early, you see? We aren’t gonna make it through this Killing Game without some kind of serious plan.”</p><p> </p><p>                She dropped into a sitting position in the middle of the bed, resting her forearms upon her knees and hanging her head low, gazing up at me expectantly. Clearly, she was serious about going through with this discussion.</p><p> </p><p>                “I see,” I conceded, pulling the chair from the desk opposite the bed and sitting down to meet her at her level. “But wouldn’t it be better to include everyone in this discussion, especially if it’s going to affect them?”</p><p> </p><p>                “We can have a whole group roundtable about it once everyone’s awake. Right now though, I just want it to be the two of us because – and trust me when I say I take no joy in saying this – you’re the only dipshit around her that I reckon I can trust.”</p><p> </p><p>                Faint praise from her caustic tongue, to be sure. She seemed to catch on to my discomfort and let out a beleaguered sigh.</p><p> </p><p>                “Look, I get it. I saw that distrusting look in your eyes, back in the warehouse – you aren’t too thrilled to be around me, are ya?”</p><p> </p><p>                She saw right through me, it seems. I guess her talents lay in keen intuition just as much as it did sharp barbs and beatdowns. I didn’t really have anything to say to her deduction, so I cast my eyes to the ground in order to not look her in the eye.</p><p> </p><p>                “I’ll take the silence to mean yes. It’s no biggie – I know that I rub people up the wrong way, what with the cold hard bitch routine, but it comes with the territory. When you’re facing down the barrel of a gun every other weekend, you don’t exactly have time to sit down and play patty-cake.</p><p>                “I don’t need you to like me, Etsuko – in fact, if I had to be perfectly honest, you’re hardly my first choice of partner in a crisis sitch – but this is the hand we were dealt. Best we can do is grit our teeth and deal with this shit, right?”</p><p>               </p><p>                Harsh as she was, I took it as a good sign that she was being so up front about her own discomfort, which made me feel just a bit guilty about giving her such a cold shoulder. I exhaled and looked back at Tanki, meeting her steely gaze.</p><p> </p><p>                “You’re right, Tanki,” I stated plainly, offering her a conciliatory bow of the head. “Let’s do the best we can to make sure that everyone gets through this.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Jeez, so formal!” she groaned. “It wouldn’t kill you to lighten up a little, would it?”</p><p> </p><p>                And there she goes with the, for want of a less trite term, bad cop routine. I couldn’t help but let out a short laugh, but that appeared to catch Tanki off guard, causing her to grumble. For the first time in this whole conversation, the tension was starting to lessen, so I pushed forward.</p><p> </p><p>                “So, I assume that you have some kind of plan then, Tanki? Would you care to fill me in?”</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s pretty straight forward: I’m pretty fucking good at getting to the bottom of a case, if I say so myself, so I’ll focus my efforts on digging up whatever dirt I can find. I already got a head start on figuring out the floor plan last night, so we can talk about that later with the others. You, on the other hand, can make sure that everybody is all happy and clappy until we can find a way out of this place.</p><p>                “If there’s one thing that that little display of yours earlier made clear, it’s that these jag offs are looking to you for guidance and inspiration, and all that hand-holdy crap. You managed to pull ‘em all together back there, so I feel like I can trust you to keep it going for a little while longer.”</p><p> </p><p>                Self-aggrandizement aside, I had to admit that her plan was vaguer and, dare I say it, more relaxed than I had expected. The scattered accounts I’d heard from colleagues and classmates had led to my mental image of Tanki being a “punch first, ask questions later” kind of operator. It was hard to tell if there wasn’t an element of that to her plans hidden beneath her vague notions, but I feel like it’s something she’d have been up front about if it were the case.</p><p> </p><p>                “If you were expecting something more specific, I was saving that for later, when we had everyone together – like you said, better to include everyone in the big decision making, even if most of them are dumber than a glass hammer. With that in mind…”</p><p> </p><p>                Tanki then sharply rocked back before launching herself forward, off of the bed, into an upright position. Taking a brief moment to stretch her arms, she let out a short, sharp sigh, gave me a last cursory nod and walked back to my door. It was certainly an abrupt way to end a conversation, but I’m starting to get the impression that abrupt is just Tanki’s style. As she reached for the door handler however…</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, and one more thing.”</p><p> </p><p>                She turned on the spot quite snappily and locked eyes with me again, with such speed that I felt as though I was being accused of something.</p><p> </p><p>“If we’re gonna be working together, you’re really gonna have to nut up and tell me what your damage is.”</p><p> </p><p>                A frightful chill rushed down my spine at this sudden request – I was hoping that she had forgotten about my breakdown earlier, but I really should have seen this coming, especially now that it was just the two of us.</p><p> </p><p>“Believe it or not, I don’t actually mean to be insensitive. If I’m to perform at my best, I need to have a firm grasp of everyone’s MOs before I can start making any serious moves - can’t be going for the royal flush in a crooked deck, if ya know what I mean, so just…”</p><p> </p><p>                Tanki paused for a moment before finishing what she had to say. For the briefest of moments, I thought I could detect a flash of sincere concern in her voice, until she shot another accusatory stare my way.</p><p> </p><p>                “Just think about it, will ya?”</p><p> </p><p>I guess a flash was all it was. With that last little outburst, Tanki yanked the door open, swivelled out of my room and pulled the door shut behind her, leaving me alone to digest everything that she had laid out for me. I pondered her last few words as I slowly drifted back to my bed, seriously contemplating what she was asking of me as I sat back down.</p><p>                It wasn’t that I was trying to keep her in the dark on purpose, and her request was certainly reasonable, given the circumstances, but the thought of recounting the explicit details was a thought that gave me nothing but profound discomfort. The longer I lingered on that thought though, I started to feel myself slipping back to that place, back to the cold and the dark…</p><p> </p><p>                Slapping myself upon my cheeks with both hands, I pushed those memories to the back of my mind before I was able to experience another relapse and stood back up, taking a deep breath. I was still here, in this foreboding lodge, with fifteen classmates in a dire situation. I wasn’t going to let myself falter again, so long as I still had a duty to perform.</p><p>                Looking back at the clock, the time now read 06:55am. It was still early, but I wasn’t going to get any more sleep for the time being, so I opened the door of my room and began the short trek to the lounge. With any luck, I might feel a bit more ready for the day with something resembling breakfast, or whatever I could cobble together in the kitchen below.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                It didn’t take long until I was back in the cavernous trophy room that lay just outside the lounge. Taking a peek at the rectangular walkway above – an area which, by the looks of it, served as a direct path between the two dorms – I thought back to Hibari’s flashy entrance and smiled warmly. Turning my attention back to the lounge door however, I could see that it was ever so slightly ajar, with faint voices just about audible from out here.</p><p>                I stepped forward to reach for the door handle and –</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Ding dong, dong ding!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                That ominous four beat chime rang out and a static sound started to fill the empty trophy room. Looking around for the source, my eyes fell upon a garish yellow monitor, built into the wall. I remembered seeing one like it yesterday when Monokuma first made himself known to us, giving me a flash of the uneasy dread that welled up within me then too.</p><p>                This time however, once the initial static had cleared, the image now showed a crystal clear view of Monokuma – his grin as vicious as ever – dressed up in a miniature woolly hat and scarf, firmly grasping a steaming mug of some unknown liquid. The image would probably be adorable were it not for the fact that this was Monokuma. With the image clear, he cleared his throat (or, at least, made a passable impression of doing so, considering that he was a robot) and began a short address…</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Good morning, everyone! Hope you all got plenty of rest and relaxation last night, here at the top of the world.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>It is now 7AM, so wake up, get up and get out there to enjoy a beautiful new day.</em>
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</p><p>
  <em>This day in particular is a special day because the Killing Game has officially begun. Let’s show some enthusiasm and make sure to give it our all today because who knows when the killing will start?</em>
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<hr/><p> </p><p>                Having said his piece, the image of Monokuma on the monitor flickered off, leaving me alone again in the trophy room. Every word, spoken with gleeful malice.</p><p>                Anyway, now that the announcement had passed, I swung the door open to see…</p><p> </p><p>                “Ah, Fraulein Etsuko! Guten morgen to you!”</p><p> </p><p>                The moment I stepped inside, I was struck by the bellowing greeting of Blitzfeld, who was sat at one of the tables with a plate full of pastries. He beckoned me towards him with a charming grin and, as I made my way across the lounge, I could see that he wasn’t the only one here: Midori was huddled by the window, just as she had been when I first saw her here yesterday, turning to face me upon Blitzfeld’s greeting; and Kota was leaning on the doorframe which led to the stairwell to the kitchen, greeting me with a cheerful nod.</p><p> </p><p>                “Good morning, Mayoko,” Midori chirped, skipping daintily over to me. “Did you sleep well?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Hi, Midori,” I answered calmly. “Yeah, I…I just about got in a good eight hours or so, I think.”</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s a relief. Honestly, I couldn’t get much rest myself, after all of the excitement of yesterday – it was just like that butterfly stomach feeling just before I sail onto the rink. Speaking of, could you come with me for a moment? There’s something you’ve just got to see!”</p><p> </p><p>                Midori took hold of my hand and stared dragging me over to the window, which caught me off guard, causing me to stumble a little. As she did, Kota gave me a cheeky shrug and, as we passed by the hearth, I could now see Gennai reclining into one of the luxurious armchairs – he greeted me with a tired wave, as if he’d just woken up.</p><p> </p><p>                “Did you see that announcement just now?” I asked Midori, not wanting to skirt around the delicate issue longer than necessary.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, he, uh…” she replied trepidatiously. “We didn’t so much see it as hear it – we couldn’t find a monitor in here, so we just heard it over the intercom. Anyway, that’s not important right now because…”</p><p> </p><p>Now that we’d reached the window, Midori spun around and leaned forward, her hands joining behind her back.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, what do you think?” she asked quizzically, gesturing to the window. I stepped up to take a look outside and was rather amazed by what I saw.</p><p> </p><p>                The impossibly dense fog from yesterday had lifted to reveal a spellbinding winter landscape: towering ivory peaks in the far distance, with the tallest being straight ahead, sloping upwards gently; vast rows of spruce trees lining the edges of a manmade clearing, with a light coating of snow which resembled icing upon a cake; and an immense cerulean sky above, with the sun ray’s slowly but surely illuminating all that it reached.</p><p>                It was a gorgeously picturesque view that floored me with its almost alien sense of beauty. If I were here under any other circumstances, I would feel nothing short of tranquil elation to be in such a place; as it stood however, this was a staggering reminder of just how isolated we truly were from the outside world, at the mercy of Monokuma and his unseen allies.</p><p> </p><p>                “Isn’t this just the most a-maze-ing place you’ve ever seen?” Midori cheered musically, allowing herself to bask in the moment in a way that I wish I could have. “This place is meant to be some kind of mountain resort, right? If that’s a ski slope, do you think there might even be an ice rink somewhere around here?”</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s certainly possible,” I replied, trying my best to push the thought of isolation to the back of my mind. “I have to admit, it really is thing of beauty.”</p><p> </p><p>                “C’est magnifique,” Kota chimed in, joining Midori and I at the window. “I’ve seen a fair few mountain resorts in my travels across Europe, but this one certainly takes the cake.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Speaking o’ cake…”</p><p> </p><p>                An elated squeal burst from out of the kitchen stairwell as Mochi came skidding into the lounge with a tray full of fruit tartlets. He gently placed the tray upon the table with the rest of the assorted pastries, eliciting a grateful cheer from Blitzfeld.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ah, what beautiful confections, dear Mochi!” he congratulated. “Your efficiency is truly a wonder among wonders.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Aw, thankin’ ya muchly, Blitzfeld,” Mochi replied bashfully. “I’ve got some croissants almost ready to go downstairs, if ya can spare me a minute or two.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, that would be wonderful!”</p><p> </p><p>                Bowing bouncily, Mochi turned back to the stairwell, offering a jaunty little wave to me as he ran past. At this point, I stepped away from the window to join Blitzfeld at the table, now taking a moment to see just how much had been laid out: alongside the newly arrived tartlets were various other treats of varying size and colour – buns, breakfast cakes, scones, the lot. It was a staggering amount of pastries, for sure, which did leave me with a few questions.</p><p> </p><p>                “Did Mochi make all of this?” I asked Blitzfeld, taking a seat opposite him as he mopped at his lips with an embroidered handkerchief.</p><p> </p><p>                “Indeed, he did, Fraulein Etsuko,” he jovially responded. “When I got here at just after half past six, he had just brought up his first plate and…well, you can see the rest of his efforts here before you.”</p><p> </p><p>                “So I can. How long had he been down there?”</p><p> </p><p>                “He says he got there just before five – he said that he just couldn’t sleep, so he came down to get a feel of the kitchen and make an early start on breakfast.”</p><p> </p><p>                An early start was a rather generous way of putting it. If what Blitzfeld was saying was true, Mochi had been alone downstairs for an hour and a half. Though I could appreciate his dedication to his craft, I couldn’t help but be alarmed at his reckless behaviour.</p><p> </p><p>                “And croissants!”</p><p> </p><p>                Just as I was thinking that, in Mochi came with another plate of food. Gennai had finally shuffled over to join us, carefully perusing the available options before settling on a strawberry tartlet.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” he dully spoke, slumping into a chair two spaces away from Blitzfeld before tucking in.</p><p> </p><p>                “Mochi, have you really been here since 5am?”</p><p> </p><p>                “That I have, miss,” he proudly chirped. “I just dunno what t’do wi’ meself if I ain’t got a mixing bowl in hand.”</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s all very well and good, but didn’t you stop to think how dangerous it was? You do know what kind of situation we’re in, right?”</p><p> </p><p>                An unpleasant pall fell over the lounge the moment that I finished my statement. Clearly, everyone had been trying to distance themselves from facing up to the reality of what we were about to face, so me chiming in to bring them back to reality had put a serious dampener on the mood. I felt particularly guilty looking at Mochi who, after looking particularly pleased with all of his culinary efforts, was now hanging his head low.</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m sorry, everyone,” I started again apologetically. “I didn’t mean to be such a downer.”</p><p> </p><p>                “No, I get it, miss,” Mochi replied lowly. “It’s just that…well, whenever I feel really down or upset, a short baking spree is good ‘nuff to perk me spirits back up. That and I just wanted to cheer everyone up with breakfast, especially after…”</p><p> </p><p>                He fell silent again, as if unsure how to really address the elephant in the room and started twiddling his thumbs repentantly. It was a sorry sight to see, so I decided to change tact, thinking back to my earlier conversation with Tanki.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, I think you did an amazing job, Mochi,” I encouraged. “Really, there’s so much to choose from, I’m just not sure where to begin.”</p><p> </p><p>                “You really mean it, Miss Mayoko?” Mochi asked hopefully, warmth slowly returning to his rosy cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>                “Really – I’m truly thankful.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Here here,” Blitzfeld bellowed alarming everyone else as he suddenly stood up from his seat, raising a glass of apple juice in, I guess you could say, solidarity. Everyone else quickly joined in with the cheer (even Gennai) and, in that instant, the sour mood from moments earlier was starting to dissipate. Soon, the atmosphere was back to the semi-jovial tone it was before I’d spoken up.</p><p> </p><p>                “Thank you, Blitzfeld,” I added sincerely.</p><p> </p><p>                “Not to worry, Fraulein Etsuko,” he replied humbly, sitting back down. “No matter how dark the night gets, the morning must come again.”</p><p> </p><p>                I didn’t follow his analogy exactly, but I could certainly agree with the sentiment, so I smiled back at him to show my agreement. With everyone slowly regaining their fervour from before, I joined them in indulging in Mochi’s various delights, which were every bit a taste sensation as they appeared to be at first glance. Ultimate Baker really was an apt title for him.</p><p>                One by one, as the minutes ticked by, everyone else slowly made their way into the lounge, taking seats to enjoy the breakfast banquet that Mochi had put on; the only abstainers were Hibari (who politely declined and opted for a self-made fruit platter) and Jiro (who settled for a plate of buttered toast). By this point, almost everybody was here, seated across the two long dining tables under the canopy, with the only exceptions being…</p><p> </p><p>                “Alright, alright, you don’t need to push me, you pushy bitch!”</p><p> </p><p>                An indignant scream from the hallway indicated the arrival of Susuko, who seemed to be in a highly volatile mood, followed closely by a highly disgruntled Tanki.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, if you woke up on time, I wouldn’t need to fucking push you, now would I?” she shot back disdainfully as she came into view, carrying what looked like an unconscious Takuji on her back.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, a girl needs her beauty sleep, you know? Maybe if you got some, you wouldn’t be such an angsty little midget!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, you are just begging for a fist in teeth now!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Both of you, stop it!” I demanded standing up to thrust myself between the two of them before a fight broke out. “We are not going through this again.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, she started it by banging on my door with her grubby little clodhoppers,” Susuko complained, taking her usual Tanki-safe position of right behind me.</p><p> </p><p>                “Serves you right for sleeping in,” Tanki snarked back, Takuji’s head drooping over her shoulder, like a marionette with its strings cut.</p><p> </p><p>                The two girls continued to glare at each other for just a moment before Susuko went off in a huff, sitting in the empty seat that was just beside mine, dropping into it with so much force that Kotona, who was sat opposite, next to Blitzfeld, dropped her scone in shock. Once Susuko was seated, with a respectable distance between her and Tanki, I turned back to the embittered bounty hunter to ask the question that was surely on everyone’s minds.</p><p> </p><p>                “And Tanki, why is Takuji on your back?” I started, swiftly regaining my composure.</p><p> </p><p>                “Because, unlike Gumdrop over there, Mr Gangly McFucknugget needed a bit more persuasion to re-join society.”</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s morning, I sleep,” Takuji playfully groaned, slowly regaining consciousness. “Now, afternoon, that’s real shit.”</p><p> </p><p>                Tanki responded by dropping Takuji so suddenly that he hit the ground with a sonorous thud, which was impressive given that he had been dropped onto a carpet; and the impact had caused him to wake up instantly, as if struck by lightning. In his newfound fervour, he wobbled over to the second table and flopped down between an alarmed Carolyn and a highly displeased Jiro.</p><p> </p><p>                “You aren’t too badly hurt, right, Takuji?” I asked, hoping to smooth things over. Instead of saying anything however, Takuji simply leaned back slightly, tilted his head up and pointed at me, a dazed smile upon his face – I guess that was his way of saying he was fine, as peculiar as it was.</p><p> </p><p>                It had just hit me at the moment that the lounge was completely silent. Turning around to get a good look at the two tables to confirm that everyone was finally hear, I became aware that everyone was looking at me expectantly, as if I were about to address them all. I turned back to Tanki who, with her arms crossed, gave a quick shrug of indifference.</p><p> </p><p>                “Wanna do the honours?” she asked, moving to the wall by the lounge door, upon which she began to lean. Thanks for the show of solidarity.</p><p> </p><p>                Either way, it was clear that nothing was going to happen until I spoke up, so I strode up to the middle of the lounge and turned around so that I could face everyone. Without any further hesitation, I took a deep breath and began to speak.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hoo boy, I really did screw the pooch on that one.</p><p>So yeah, it's been almost a year since I last updated and I don't really have much of a strong excuse. Then again, 2020 kinda hit a lot of us like a freight train, so I guess it was a universal feeling, if anything. Still an unpleasant feeling to be sure.</p><p>Either way, I'm sorry for leaving it so long between chapters. I'll attempt to be more clear about whether a long hiatus is in the offing next time.</p><p>Right now though, I hope that you'll be able to enjoy Chapter 1, as I mete it out over the next few weeks or so. I've written the entire Daily Life segment and I'm currently in the process of getting Deadly Life together. When I'll be able to muster the energy to get the whole chapter done is another matter entirely, but I hope you can all enjoy the next six weeks as I pump out the Daily Life.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 1: Daily Life (Mayoko Part 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>With everyone gathered, it was now time to discuss just what would have to be done to make it through the Killing Game. With tensions running high, would Mayoko be able to rally everyone together to face the oncoming challenges that await them in the Babel Mons Grand Lodge?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>                “So, let’s – “</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Boi-yoing!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                “Jeez, what’s with all this drama?!”</p><p> </p><p>                I had barely gotten a whole sentence out before a sickeningly squeaky voice penetrated the spellbound silence of the lounge. A few of the others let out surprised yelps as a soft impact rang out behind me.</p><p>Turning to face the source of the sound, I was perturbed to see that Monokuma had decided to appear out of nowhere, presumably diving from the upstairs canopy and landing in between the tables.</p><p> </p><p>                “Goooooooooood morning, everyone!” he cheered, in that sickening sing song voice of his. “Did’ja all sleep well? You all feeling fresh and revitalised for a brand new day of killing shenanigans, here at Babel Mons?”</p><p> </p><p>                Everyone was clearly too flabbergasted to say anything, so I decided to greet Monokuma’s false flattery with a firm glare. He may not have been convinced the last time I tried this, but I hoped that he would get the message that we weren’t interested in what he had to say.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yikes, tough crowd! I swear, you cause one close to world ending catastrophe and everyone suddenly hates your guts. Come now, it’s not like I voiced a fictional character that killed a fictional angry bearded dad – I’m not a complete monster.”</p><p> </p><p>                His irreverence was really starting to irritate me, but I knew that a reaction was what he desperately craved, so I maintained my iron wall approach, hoping that he would give out before I did.</p><p> </p><p>                “Eh, fine, whatever! I only wanted to come by to give you a little rule update, since I didn’t get around to it yesterday; but since you’re all so determined to ignore me – like that crusty old sock you keep tucked under your mattress for ‘special occasions’ – I’m not gonna bother. Just look at the rules section on your handbooks in your own time, or don’t. It’s not like I really care what you teenage dirtbags do with yourselves, since you aren’t really going anywhere for the foreseeable future.</p><p>                “Anyway, happy entrails! If you little ingrates need to find me for anything – like, a birds and the bears talk – I’ll be in the warden’s office, smothering honey all over my belly button.”</p><p> </p><p>                As suddenly as he had appeared, Monokuma had vanished yet again. As much as I wished that this whole situation could be resolved as quickly as possible, I quietly resigned myself to the uncomfortable fact that we were stuck with his inane banter for the time being. Still, I made a mental note to myself to see what these rules were that Monokuma was going on about – if this was anything like the Hope’s Peak Killing Game, it would be for the best to familiarise myself with them.</p><p>Regardless, I took a deep breath again and turned back to face the group, who were all in varying states of discomfort and awkward resignation. Deciding not to dally any further, I picked up where Monokuma had interrupted.</p><p> </p><p>                “So, before we get another unwelcome visitor, I think it’s time we had a serious discussion,” I began, ensuring that my tone was clear and concise. “Namely, we need to be clear about what we’re going to do to get through this.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Too true, Fraulein Etsuko!” Blitzfeld spoke up boisterously. “It’s not every day that one finds themselves in a Killing Game, after all, so a clear strategy is needed, ja?”</p><p> </p><p>                Yes, that’s what I was just saying. I guess it was good that the message was clear, at least.</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s certainly a profound proclamation, but that just begs the question,” Hiromu interrupted, looking up from a book that he had previously been holding up to his face. “What is said strategy? It’s all well and good to talk a big game, but the house without a solid foundation is sure to crumble.”</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m sure that Mayoko was getting that that before you jumped in,” Hibari interjected defensively. “Sorry, Yoko-darling, you were saying?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway,” I continued. “For the time being, it seems that we’ll be here for a prolonged period of time, so I think our main focus, for now, is to find out all that we can about our current lodgings.”</p><p> </p><p>                “What was it that Monokuma called it again?” Kotona wondered aloud, rubbing her temples with her index fingers. “The, uh…Babel Mons Grand Lodge? I can’t help but feel that that name is familiar.”</p><p> </p><p>                “That wouldn’t be much of a surprise, Fraulein Oshi,” Blitzfeld responded. “The Babel Mons Grand Lodge is world renowned resort and research station, situated high in the Swiss Alps, far beyond what anyone thought possible to construct.</p><p>“It shares its name with the biblical Tower Of Babel, which mankind tried using to ascend to the heavens – a fitting metaphor, given its purpose in uniting the world’s brightest.”</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s that big a deal?” Gennai queried, clearly feeling left out of the loop somewhat. “Honestly, I haven’t even heard of it. Can it really be that impressive?””</p><p> </p><p>                “Are you kidding?” Chiba jumped in, utterly aghast. “It’s only the most prestigious ski resort in-the-whole-world. It’s the premier spot for all the big stars and influencers – I’ve been trying to get a sponsorship deal with the management for years now, but my emails always bounced.”</p><p> </p><p>                “The last I read,” Heikichi added, keeping a laser focus on everyone that stood up to speak. “Babel Mons is also a hotspot – or cold spot, you could say – for climate researchers and all kinds of other scientific study.”</p><p> </p><p>                Most of the group reacted to Heikichi’s joke with laboured groans, so I tried to downplay the tiny chuckle that I let out, particularly after catching a rather sharp sneer from Tanki. Better to just carry on before she starts up again.</p><p> </p><p>                “So, we know where we are, at least, so the next big question is how.”</p><p> </p><p>                “I, uh…”</p><p> </p><p>                “Ja, the circumstances are most troubling,” Blitzfeld boomed. “To take all of us in one fell swoop, completely out of sight and mind of the Hope’s Peak faculty…”</p><p> </p><p>                “I was th-thinking…”</p><p> </p><p>                “I mean, taking just one of us would be a bold enough move, but a mass kidnapping like ours would surely –“</p><p> </p><p>                “Sorry, Blitzfeld, could you hold on for just a moment,” I interrupted, finally picking out a trepidatious voice under Blitzfeld’s pontificating. “Carolyn, you were trying to say something, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, it’s just….” she started nervously, clearly struggling to come up with the right words. “I was also w-w-wondering…well, i-if th-this place is such a b-b-big deal, how did M-Monok-k-kuma manage to take control of it?”</p><p> </p><p>                “That is particularly troubling,” Hibari said. “Monokuma said that he was the last one left, but there’s no way that an AI with limited resources could do all of this on its own. Clearly, he had some kind of help, which would explain the ease of how he managed to take all of us. Exactly who it was and how many were involved though is another matter entirely.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yes, it’s quite a perplexing feat,” Kota concurred. “It seems a little hard to believe that he could just storm in and take control of the place, even with his attack force of – what did he call those hideous polar bear things…Korikumas? Still, he has had close to twenty years to plan this, so nothing’s out of the realm of possibility.”</p><p> </p><p>                The lounge fell silent as everyone stopped to speculate what kind of help Monokuma must have had in carrying out his misdeeds this time. Eventually, Kotona came out with a suggestion.</p><p> </p><p>                “Do you think it could’ve been them? The Remnants Of Despair?”</p><p> </p><p>                The mention of that specific group caused quite a stir amongst the group, disrupting our, up to that point, productive discussion. The Remnants of Despair – a select handful of students from the old Hope’s Peak Academy that had been drawn to the former Ultimate Despair but had gone missing towards the end of The Tragedy – were certainly a possible candidate for Monokuma’s back up. It had been around twenty years since any reported activity from them, but they couldn’t be taken off of the table.</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s quite a farfetched suggestion, if you ask me,” Tanki spoke up. “I highly doubt that they’re involved.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Huh? What makes you so sure of that?” Jiro asked, cocking his eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>                “Common sense, mostly. The Remnants of Despair were nothing more than a bunch of mutilated lunatics towards the end of the Tragedy, reportedly stranding themselves on some lost island somewhere – d’ya really think they’d have the resource to pull a stunt like this?”</p><p> </p><p>“And how exactly would you know that?” Gennai asked.</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s called having sources – it’s one of the benefits of my line of work.”</p><p> </p><p>                “And we’re supposed to trust you because…”</p><p> </p><p>                “Because I said so, Lucky McNoMates. Don’t like it? Tough!”</p><p> </p><p>                Tanki’s evasiveness was admittedly starting to rub me the wrong way, but I knew that we wouldn’t be able to go much further if we continued the conversation this way, so I decided to try and change tact for the time being, remembering something that Tanki had mentioned in our one-to-one.</p><p> </p><p>                “Tanki, you mentioned earlier that you spent some time last night, trying to map out the lodge. Would you be able to share your findings?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Thought you’d never ask, Etsuko!” Tanki exhaled as she rocked herself off of the wall and paced up to stand beside me. “So, here’s how it goes…”</p><p> </p><p>                “Uh, hold up! When did you two talk about this?” Susuko chimed in indignantly.</p><p> </p><p>                “Etsuko and I had a little brain-owners only meeting about an hour ago. Nothing for you to worry your airy little head over.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, so you’re off having secret meetings with the pint size Punisher now? Since when were you two so buddy buddy?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, if you’re getting lonely, Gumdrop, I have a pair of clodhoppers that would like to get further acquainted with your ass.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Look, just stop it you two!” I intervened exhaustedly, pinching the bridge of my nose. It was starting to get a little tiring, acting as the mediator between Susuko and Tanki all the time. “Sorry, Tanki, could you continue?”</p><p> </p><p>                Tanki took a brief moment to compose herself before saying what she had wanted to. I quickly glanced back at Susuko, who was glaring uncomfortably at Tanki whilst pulling apart a croissant.</p><p> </p><p>                “As I was about to say, I took it upon myself to do a quick bit of recon when all of you were catching zees and I reckon I now have a pretty clear idea of the layout of this place. I would give all of you a tour if I gave that much of a damn…”</p><p> </p><p>                Clearly, public speaking was not Tanki’s forte, as everybody continued to sit in place silently, with varying expressions of confusion and indignation. I tried to communicate this unease to her non-verbally, at which point she let out an annoyed groan.</p><p> </p><p>“Also, it looks like Shittie The Pooh already went to the trouble of giving us maps – there’s an app for it on these piece o’ crap eHandbooks, so look through ‘em at your own leisure.”</p><p> </p><p>                I really wished that she could be more forthcoming for everybody else’s sakes, but it seemed as though everyone else had taken the hint and pulled out their handbooks to look for this supposed map, so I decided to follow suit, having stashed my own handbook into my pocket after finding it earlier this morning. After turning it on, it appeared that there were a few apps that could be worth further investigation, but the immediate matter of the Map app was what mattered now.</p><p>                It was just as Tanki had said: a fully comprehensive map of all of the available living spaces we could access in the lodge at the moment. For the time being, it appeared that we had access to three floors, which were the dormitory floor, where all of our room were situated (2F); the ground floor, which housed the lounge, the lobby, a medical office, warden’s quarters (the room that Monokuma had mentioned, so clearly somewhere we would want to avoid) and a store (1F); and the basement, which was home to the kitchen, the warehouse where I had met Tanki and Heikichi and another large room, simply marked with a Korikuma face.</p><p> </p><p>                “It looks as though there are meant to be more floors,” Tanki continued. “But the stairs leading up past the second floor are blocked up by metal grates for now, so fuck knows what we gotta do to get those outta the way. Also, I tried the elevator and it’s stuck to the floors we have right now, so it’s pretty useless right now.”</p><p> </p><p>                “And what about this unnamed room in the basement?” Jiro asked. “It’s got one of those Korikuma things on it. Something tells me that it should warrant a little more than an indifferent shrug.”</p><p> </p><p>                “You seem to like doubting me, Douche Canoe!” Tanki shot back. “If I could get in, I would’ve said so. Both of the entrances were bolted tight and I couldn’t kick ‘em down, so I gave up for now.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Douche Canoe?” Jiro muttered to himself, seemingly taken aback by the obtuseness of the nickname. Tanki really was not interested in making friends here, was she?</p><p> </p><p>                “And one more thing: there’s not a single goddamn phone or computer in sight, so it looks as though we can’t call for help just yet. For now, we’re sitting ducks.”</p><p> </p><p>                That last statement was deeply troubling, and I clearly wasn’t the only one that felt it. As soon as Tanki had finished speaking, a nervous undercurrent ran through the room. Truth be told, I couldn’t blame them, as the thought of being trapped here for so long, with no way of reaching the outside world was, in a word, terrifying, but this was even more of a reason for us to hold out.</p><p>                At this point, it felt like we had covered all possible talking points for now, so I couldn’t think of another reason for us to stay cloistered together for now.</p><p> </p><p>                “I guess that’s a wrap for now, everyone,” I spoke up, attempting some form of sign off. “Let’s try to spend some time searching the lodge for some kind of clues and then meet here again tomorrow morning to discuss our findings. That way, we can see if we’re any closer to finding a way out of here.”</p><p> </p><p>                A wave of nods rattled around the room as everyone seemed to be in agreement. Everyone, that is except…</p><p> </p><p>                “Just one quick question,” Gennai started. “Not to be rude, but who exactly put you and Tanki in charge?”</p><p> </p><p>                The lounge dropped into absolute silence – the kind that would make a pin drop echo for miles. Everyone’s eyes were now on Gennai, who suddenly seemed very self-conscious of all the newfound attention.</p><p> </p><p>                “I don’t wanna step on anybody’s toes or anything, but aren’t we being a bit too presumptuous in just blindly following whoever stands up and tell us what to do?”</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m sorry, but d’ya wanna start something, shorty?” Susuko spat, sharply rising from her seat.</p><p> </p><p>                “He does have a point, you know?” Hiromu concurred, finally putting his book down, after having spent most of the meeting with it cover his face. “Your effort to take charge is certainly admirable, but wouldn’t it have been prudent to have an actual discussion about this first and possibly even voted?”</p><p> </p><p>                “You too, bookworm? All of you ungrateful little -”</p><p> </p><p>                “No, Susuko, it’s okay,” I said, motioning her to sit down. Truth be told, Gennai and Hiromu weren’t entirely out of order to be asking these questions, as I did just assume that everyone would just follow my lead.</p><p>I may have been in training to become an Ultimate Police Officer, but I was still just another scared teenager at the end of the day, the same as everyone else here. Would it have been better if I had at least asked everybody what they’d have wanted first?</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, if you ask me, I think Mayoko’s more than worthy to take charge,” Kotona said. “She was the one to take initiative and find us when we all first arrived, after all.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Not just that,” Hibari continued. “She was the one to stand up to Monokuma when he first showed up – if you ask me, she’s more than earned our trust.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, Mayoko has my vote,” Heikichi said, smiling warmly.</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m ‘appy for Miss Mayoko to take the lead,” Mochi added.</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s totes fine with me, y’all,” Chiba also agreed.</p><p> </p><p>                All around the tables, people nodded or offered some other form of agreement. Truth be told, it was a very humbling experience for everyone to respond so uniformly. I can only hope that I can live up to their expectations.</p><p> </p><p>                “Here here, mein friends! A toast to camaraderie and unity!” Blitzfeld cheered, raising his glass again. Nobody else joined in, out of that sense of usual teenage awkwardness, but there was some light chuckling all around, so it seemed that most of the group agreed, if only in spirit.</p><p> </p><p>                “I guess…” Hiromu started. “…it seems pretty unanimous, so who am I to argue with consensus?”</p><p> </p><p>                It looked as though the matter had been swiftly settled and, on that cue, one or two members of the group turned their gaze back to Gennai, who now looked like he really didn’t want to be sat where he was right now.</p><p> </p><p>                “Fine, fine, just forget I said anything,” Gennai relented, standing up from his seat and sheepishly making his way to the lounge door. “I’ll just be in my room, if anyone needs me.”</p><p> </p><p>                Now that Gennai had left, I was once again starting to feel that our discussion had run its course for the time being. I tried again to dismiss everybody and, this time, there was no further commentary – everyone began to slowly make their way out of the lounge, breaking off into small groups to hopefully investigate the lodge. Of course, I couldn’t exactly force them, but I wanted to believe that our unified cause was enough motivation for them to at least try. It wasn’t long until I was the last one standing in the lounge.</p><p> </p><p>                “Good job wrangling all those dumbasses.”</p><p> </p><p>                All except for one, it seemed. I turned around to see that Tanki was hovering by the door, clearly wanting to make one more remark, even if it was layered beneath a pointed jab.</p><p> </p><p>                “Was there something else you wanted, Tanki?” I asked directly, not wanting to linger here for too much longer.</p><p> </p><p>                “Just one last thing, for your ears only. Starting tonight, we’re gonna be keeping a night watch: I take one dorm hallway, you take the other. That way, we can make sure nobody tries sneaking out in the dead of night for whatever reason, comprendé?”</p><p> </p><p>                Comprendé?  It seemed as though she had already made up her mind that we would be doing this, before even asking me. I had many questions about her idea, so I started with what I thought to be the most important.</p><p> </p><p>                “Did you not think it would be a good idea to tell everyone else about your suggestion?”</p><p> </p><p>                “And give them an opportunity to plan a way around it? You’re way too trusting, Etsuko, if you think they’re all gonna play goody-good just because of one successful meeting. It’s better to cover all of our bases, just to see if these idiots really can be trusted without prompting them.”</p><p> </p><p>                I hated to admit that she was right, but I could see that she had clearly thought this plan through significantly. I still wish that she had included me in the decision making beforehand, but it seemed that there was little else to say about it.</p><p> </p><p>                “There may be…some merit to your idea,” I concurred hesitantly. “But I still believe that we should have given everyone a chance to discuss it first.</p><p> </p><p>                “I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree then.”</p><p> </p><p>                Her statement was resoundingly final, with no room for argument.</p><p> </p><p>                “So, what’s the plan for this night watch?” I asked, acquiescing to her decision.</p><p> </p><p>                “I gave a quick look through that damn bear’s rules on the handbook and it seems as though night time is 10pm – make sure that everyone is turned in for the night and then meet me in the Trophy Hall at 9:30pm and, from there, we can decide who covers which dorm and how long to keep watch for – we still need to get some sleep, after all, otherwise we’ll be useless sacks of crap in the morning.”</p><p> </p><p>                “And what happens if not everyone respects the curfew?” I asked, as Tanki turned on the spot and headed out of the lounge.</p><p> </p><p>                “I’ve got it covered; don’t you worry!” she shouted back, vanishing from sight. Not wanting to be left alone in the lounge, I followed her out not long after.</p><p> </p><p>Still reeling a little from today’s breakfast meeting, I immediately went back to my room to take a brief moment of repose. We had discussed a lot of things earlier, so I wanted to make sure that I understood everything before any further action.</p><p>                This place is the Babel Mons Grand Lodge: it’s a tourist spot/research facility that Monokuma has supposedly taken control of; we have no idea how he brought us here or if he had any help; and there doesn’t appear to be any way of contacting the outside world. It was a closed circle in the most classic sense of the term.</p><p>                That was all that we knew for certain at this stage, save for Tanki’s observations about the layout of the lodge, so everyone had decided to split up and investigate for the time being. That was pretty much all that we knew at this stage, so all that was left was the investigation itself.</p><p> </p><p>                “Just a question of where to begin,” I wondered aloud to myself.</p><p> </p><p>                With sixteen of us searching, we were bound to turn up something sooner or later – the real question though was where I would start. I would have certainly preferred to stay a far away from the basement as long as I could, for the time being, so that jut left the first two floors of the lodge. At the very least, I wasn’t spoiled for choice.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                For want of a good place to start, I soon found myself drifting in the direction of the direction of the atrium. When I arrived there, it was mostly quiet, save for a rustling noise in the direction of the exposed lobby. Moving up to the archway that led to the lobby, I could now see that there was somewhat at the desk – it was Blitzfeld, rifling through what looked like a large number of papers. I made sure to alert him to my presence by clearing my throat.</p><p> </p><p>                “Aha! Fraulein Etsuko!” he beamed boisterously. “How goes the investigation?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Hello, Blitzfeld,” I responded, greeting him back with a slight wave. “I haven’t found much yet so far. Yourself?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Much the same, I’m afraid. I figured it would be prudent to start here in the lobby, seeing as how this was our starting point, after all, but I haven’t had much luck. It’s like trying to conduct a symphony without a baton: technically feasible, but harder to really get a good grasp of things.”</p><p> </p><p>                It seemed that the two of us were in the same position, in terms of progress. I stopped for a moment to consider whether it would be worth sticking around to help him with his search, as two sets of eyes would surely be more likely to turn up a result than one. After careful consideration, I decided to broach the subject to him.</p><p> </p><p>                “A most splendid idea, Fraulein Etsuko!” he cheered. “Truly, with your diligent leadership and my not inconsiderable attention to detail, we are sure to turn up something sooner or later.</p><p> </p><p>                It was hard not to find his enthusiasm somewhat endearing, even if it would potentially be rather obnoxious in large concentrations. Still, I’d made my decision that I would help Blitzfeld, so I set to work looking around the front counter for some kind of clue that would help our predicament.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                So it was that I proceeded to spend the rest of the morning, and the start of the afternoon, investigating the atrium and lobby of the lodge with Blitzfeld. All throughout, he regaled me with various exploits of his time as a conductor, in an attempt to keep morale high. In the end, although we weren’t able to discern much more than we already knew, it was still something of a valuable experience, getting to know Blitzfeld better.</p><p> </p><p>               “This is truly quite a dire situation. Still, I see little reason to fret: with your fiery determination, I believe we can accomplish anything. By my honour, as a paragon of House Stangeberg, I must insist that you allow me to assist in any way I can.”</p><p> </p><p>                He then proceeded to sharply bow, his hand planted flat upon his heart. It was always rather alarming to see him acting so larger than life constantly, but I suppose it was just part of his charm, by this point.</p><p> </p><p>               “Ah, well, thank you, Blitzfeld,” I replied bemusedly. “It’s good to know that you can be so…uh, reliable.”</p><p> </p><p>               “Indeed, indeed. Sadly, reliability is a trait so often undervalued these days. It’s hard to know who we can count on sometimes - my brother, Ferdinand, for instance, has always been quite a flashy braggart, yet his punctuality leaves a lot to be desired.”</p><p> </p><p>               Well, he certainly knew how to spin an intricate thread from lightest of starting points. Still, this was the first time that Blitzfeld had mentioned having a brother, so it was, at least in some way, showing that he was comfortable opening up about that subject.</p><p> </p><p>                “I tell you; he knows his way around a woodwind quite well, but he always finds a way to be self-congratulatory, one way or another. Whatever the situation, he’ll find an opportunity to talk about his grand skill.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, it sounds like he can be something of a broken record,” I added, noting the slight irony of his criticisms.</p><p> </p><p>                Out of nowhere however, Blitzfeld let out one hell of a belly laugh at my last statement. I had no idea what set him off just then – all I said was that it sounded like his brother was something of a broken record…broken record? Did I accidentally make a pun without realising? That embarrassed realisation made me think of Heikichi all of a sudden, which led to me quietly chuckling to myself.</p><p>               Fortunately, Blitzfeld’s belly laughter died down quick enough for him to regain his composure – he and Heikichi probably ought to find some time to talk to each other at some point. That being said…</p><p> </p><p>               “Oh, Fraulein Etsuko, I never took you to be much of a joker! Truth be told, you just now reminded me of my sister, Ada – she’s a harpist, and she can be pretty level-headed most of the time until boom!”</p><p> </p><p>                His sudden end-of-sentence outburst was alarming, but not enough so to make me overlook his blatant attempt to steer the conversation back to his family. I didn’t tend to like it when people attempted to lead conversations, but it was clear that he was rather excited to talk about the subject, so I decided to play along for now.</p><p> </p><p>               “What happened to her? Also how many siblings do you have, Blitzfeld?</p><p> </p><p>               “Oh, it’s nothing serious,” he replied placatively. “She can just get a little wicked with the whiskey, if you know what I mean.”</p><p> </p><p>               He once again let out a warm chuckle, nudging his elbow into mine in a knowing manner. It was hard to really know what to say, so I just smiled and let him carry on with his explanation.</p><p> </p><p>               “As for siblings, there are eight of us, in total: there is me, two older siblings and five youngers. Both of my elder siblings attended Hope’s Peak themselves, as the Ultimate Flautist and Ultimate Harpist, so it’s up to me to, as they say, keep up the winning streak.”</p><p> </p><p>                When he puts it that way, it sounds like he’s got quite a lot to live up to. He puts on quite an air of carefree grandiosity, but I wonder how much of it could possibly just be a front - with that much pressure on him to succeed upon his shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>               “That’s certainly impressive,” I conceded. “With so much to live up to, I guess you could say that being an Ultimate runs in your family, especially with the music connection.”</p><p> </p><p>               “Ja! It’s certainly quite wonderful to be recognised for my talents but living up to that family tradition is still quite the tall order. Still, live up to it I did…well, will do. Just as soon as this barbaric game is concluded, I shall be able to show the world just what this Ultimate Conductor is truly capable of.”</p><p> </p><p>                 His optimistic proclamation helped to liven the mood, but it also served as another reminder of the fact that we would need to get out of here as soon as we could. Still, if we were heading towards that goal with hope motivating us, perhaps we wouldn’t be too hard pressed.</p><p> </p><p>                “Have you any family yourself, Fraulein Etsuko?” he continued, now turning the question back onto myself. I probably should have expected it, to be honest, but it still caught me off-guard somehow.</p><p> </p><p>                “Me? Oh, uh…no, not really. There’s my parents of course, but I don’t have any siblings.”</p><p> </p><p>                “I see. I guess we probably aren’t too different, in that case – you may not have any siblings to compete against, but that would just mean that it is up to you alone to shoulder your family’s legacy. In a way, perhaps I have it rather easy.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, I…I guess so…”</p><p> </p><p>                It had just hit me now that this was the first time that I had really stopped to think about my parents since this had all started. What could they possibly be thinking throughout all this? They must surely have been expecting to hear from me by now, settling in at Hope’s Peak…</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, my apologies, Fraulein Etsuko. It was not my intention to dredge up such unwelcome emotions all of a sudden. What on Earth was I thinking?”</p><p> </p><p>                “No, it’s fine,” I responded, clearing my throat. “We shouldn’t have to worry about those kinds of things for now. Even if it takes time for us to alert the authorities, we still have each other to rely on. We’ll find a way out of this, no matter what.”</p><p> </p><p>“Indeed, Fraulein Etsuko, indeed. As I stated earlier, I swear, by the honour of my house, that I will do my best to assist you in this endeavour.”</p><p> </p><p>               It seemed like just another of amusing self-aggrandisement earlier, but after hearing about his family, those words now rung somewhat truer. It was good to know that, in spite of this situation, I was at least here with reliable people like Blitzfeld.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>&lt;BOND FRAGMENT&gt;</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>                I spent a bit more time with Blitzfeld quickly going over the rest of our discoveries before the two of us parted ways for the time being. All that searching had proven surprisingly tiring, so I decided to make my way back to my room for a brief bit of rest before deciding what to do next.</p><p>               Before that though, I decided to make a quick stop at the lodge store that Tanki had briefly mentioned earlier: a quaint room on the eastern side of the lodge’s first floor that was full to bursting point with various bizarre knick knacks. It also housed a bizarre contraption with Monokuma’s sickening smirk on it – if I had to guess, it was some kind of gachopon device. I reached into my jacket pocket to retrieve the small stack of coins that I had found in the lobby earlier and, with nothing else to really think of to do with them, I started popping them in one at a time until I was left with a small collection of capsules of various sizes.</p><p>               Not wanting to linger too long, I made my way back to my room with my collection of new trinkets in order to get that brief bit of rest I had promised myself earlier.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 1: Daily Life (Mayoko Part 3)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mayoko and co continue to find out more about their current predicament, taking time to get to know each other better along the way. As night time arrives however, an undercurrent of malice begins to bubble to the surface.</p><p>CW // Panic attack, hints of child exploitation</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>                What had originally started as just a quick stop off in my room ended up becoming a full blown nap for around an hour or so. I was surprised at just how tired I seemed to be, so when I looked at my clock to see that it was almost 4pm, I had to double take to make sure that I had read it right.</p><p>                It didn’t feel right letting so much time get away from me whilst everyone was busy turning this lodge upside down for clues, so I swiftly made my way out of my room to try and re-join the investigation. I wasn’t sure where a good place to start would be, but soon found myself coming up to the lounge again. The door was ajar, so I slipped in quietly to start looking around.</p><p>                At first glance, the room was completely empty. It was so full of life this morning, so having it be practically deserted was rather haunting. As I strode across the room however, coming out from underneath the canopy, a curious feeling overcame me, like I was being watched. I remembered this same feeling from yesterday, so I instinctively looked up to see…</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh! Hello there, Yoko-darling!”</p><p> </p><p>                Hibari was tiptoeing precariously along the handrail, with the balance and poise that was befitting of her title. Even if the oaken handrail was thicker than any trapeze wire, it was still impressive to see.</p><p> </p><p>                “Uh, hello, Hibari,” I muttered, being careful not to look directly up at Hibari, as her raised position relative to me was…shall we say compromising?</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, right, sorry about that.”</p><p> </p><p>                Upon realising what I was thinking, Hibari swiftly descended from the handrail before dropping to the carpeted floor below. I had to wonder why she didn’t just step down onto the canopy and take the stairs down on the far end of the lounge, but it was hard to deny the skill in her landing.</p><p> </p><p>                “I suppose I should be glad that none of the boys got a good look,” she joked. “Still, I suppose there are some people here that I wouldn’t mind catching a peek.”</p><p> </p><p>                Hibari flashed me a sly wink as she walked past me and took a seat in one of the plush armchairs near the hearth. I tried to prevent myself from blushing as I joined her in one of the other chairs.</p><p> </p><p>                “A-anyway, are you doing okay?” I asked, hoping to change the subject quickly. “Have you or any of the others had any luck searching the place?”</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m afraid not. There’s nothing here in the lounge that’s of much use, but I was joined by Midori for a little while – she’s a sweet girl, but she was getting too distracted looking out the window, so she took off quickly after. She said she wanted to keep her eyes on the task at hand.</p><p>                “How about you, Mayoko? Any luck in your search?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Nothing to report on my end either, I’m afraid. It’s a shame that we don’t appear to have made any progress yet.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Don’t beat yourself up about it – it’s a large lodge, so searching the whole thing will probably take a while. Besides, who knows how many more floors there are beyond those grates?</p><p>                “Tell you what though: how about we take a break here just to catch our breath? Besides, we haven’t really had the chance to sit down and talk, jut the two of us…”</p><p> </p><p>                Hibari trailed off her sentence knowingly to try and entice me to stay here with her. Admittedly, I did feel a little guilty at the thought of just staying here and socialising after taking that extended nap earlier, but I appreciated the offer of company, nonetheless and accepted.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, that’s wonderful! I’ll just pop down into the kitchen and see if I can rustle up some tea for us. Do you drink green?”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                For the next few hours, Hibari and I simply sat together in the lounge, wiling away the hours with all kinds of small talk over tea. She came on incredibly strong when I first met her but, in a more social setting, it was quite strange to see just how relaxed she could be at rest – she had a really soothing air about her that made me feel comfortable letting my guard down.</p><p>                It felt like Hibari and I had gotten closer. My thoughts then turned to a small glass bottle in my pocket from my trip to the lodge store earlier. Taking out the minute lavender container, labelled <em>Eau de L’attrait</em>, I offered it to her a little sheepishly, unsure of how she’d react – the enraptured awe in her eyes however made me feel much more confident in my gift choice.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, Yoko-darling, you shouldn’t have,” she fawned. “You really are something special, you know that?”</p><p> </p><p>                I tried to avert my gaze to try and hide my embarrassed blushing, but a sly chuckle from Hibari made it clear that I had failed. Still, I was happy that she appreciated the gift.</p><p> </p><p>                “You know, I’m really glad that you came by to see me again, Mayoko,” she started up again, playfully stroking some hair out of her eyeline. “I’m happy that we can continue to get to know each other.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Of course,” I replied earnestly. “I really am hoping that, if we all become good friends, we can stop Monokuma together.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Exactly! I really do admire that spirit of yours, you know? It makes me wonder...”</p><p> </p><p>                Hibari suddenly cut herself off mid-sentence, stroking her chin with her thumb and forefinger as she closed her eyes coyly.</p><p> </p><p>                “Makes you wonder what?” I wondered aloud.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, it’s nothing important...or maybe it is. I’m sorry if this seems a bit out of left field, but what do you suppose it is that makes life so special?”</p><p> </p><p>                I wasn’t sure what to expect, but that was certainly a much more profound question than I had expected from this conversation. Clearly, Hibari was serious about this, so I thought it best to let her continue.</p><p> </p><p>                “You see, I’ve been thinking a lot about this for all of my life,” Hibari continued. “After a lot of careful consideration, I’ve boiled it down to one thing, one specific key that makes our lives what it is: bonds. You know what I mean, right?”</p><p> </p><p>                Bonds, huh? It’s a bit of an abrupt answer but, knowing Hibari, I’m sure she has to be referring  to something specific.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, I’d say it’s the people in your life that make it special,” I answered. “Whether it’s family or friends, or even just people on the street, they all play a part in your life, in shaping you into the person you become.”</p><p> </p><p>                For a moment, Hibari said nothing, as if taking the time to really think over my answer. Eventually, she smiled at me warmly and spoke up again.</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s exactly right, Yoko-darling! I knew that we’d see eye to eye.</p><p>                “Human bonds, trust, all of these are crucial in shaping who we are as people. It’s true with you, as a police officer, and myself, in the world of aerial dance – we place our trust in everyone around us in order to ensure that we can perform at our best.”</p><p> </p><p>                It was an interesting parallel that she just drew, but it actually made quite a bit of sense when she put it that way. Of course, I’ve never really been in a tense enough situation, in the context of my own training, for it to have mattered as much, but Hibari’s words till rang true.</p><p> </p><p>“In fact, you could say that trust is the dividing line between life and death.”</p><p> </p><p>                That last statement however was spoken with a sense of conviction that left me taken aback. With just one sentence, the mood of the conversation had radically changed.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yes, I, uh…I suppose you’re right,” I meekly agreed, still trying to process the sudden downturn in the conversation. Hibari swiftly picked up on my unease and her expression softened in an instant.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, I’m sorry if that got a little intense,” she added apologetically. “That’s just the way I see things, you see?</p><p>                “Aerial dance may be a breath-taking performance art, but it is also a delicate balancing act - sometimes, literally. So many moving pieces, so many things that can and will go wrong if everyone isn’t on the same level.”</p><p> </p><p>                When she puts it that way, it actually makes a lot more sense that she would think in such absolutes. I was a little embarrassed to admit that I’d never seen an aerial dance performance in person before but, from the few clips I had seen during my brief research, it really was rather beautiful to watch. I can’t even image how long it must have taken Hibari to train to become even halfway decent at it, let alone good enough to be recognised as the Ultimate Aerial Dancer.</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s why a bond of trust is critical, you see: I can only perform at my best when I have utmost faith in those I am working with. Stage crew, performance partners – if there’s no trust amongst us, then everything falls apart. In a field like mine, the worst case scenario can be fatal.</p><p>                “This Killing Game is much the same way: if we can’t all pull ourselves together, as a unit, we’ll be putty in Monokuma’s filthy little paws. Still, I’m sure that we’ll manage - we have one thing that that rotten bear doesn’t...</p><p> </p><p>                After being so talkative, Hibari was back to being coy, with a hint of that usual knowing smirk upon her face.</p><p> </p><p>“And what would that be?” I asked, taking her up on her obvious hint.</p><p> </p><p>                This time, Hibari herself seemed to be briefly taken aback. Swiftly regaining her composure, she got up out of her chair and approached me with that tender but playful grin of hers.</p><p>                “Why, you, of course.”</p><p> </p><p>                “M-me? I, uh…are you sure?” I spluttered, feeling colour flush into my face as Hibari drew closer. “I mean, I want to keep everyone safe, for sure, but that’s all. Really, I’m nothing special.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Really? The way that you stood up to Monokuma was ‘nothing special’? Trust me, Mayoko - that little act of defiance took a whole lot of balls, if you’ll pardon the phrase. You stood up and refused to let him intimidate you – that seems pretty special, if you ask me.”</p><p> </p><p>                I guess she wasn’t entirely wrong, but it was still rather hard not to feel a little flustered. Thinking back, I couldn’t quite say what came over me, but seeing Monokuma get so enthusiastic about the prospect of us turning on each other…</p><p>                “I couldn’t just stand there in silence, you know? Letting him go on about having us killing each other. Just the thought of what he wants us to do to each other, for his sick fantasies…I just can’t allow him to have his way. I won’t allow it!”</p><p> </p><p>                That seemed to be exactly what Hibari was hoping to here, as her expression turned into something warm and content. There wasn’t any of her usual playfulness about this smile though – there was complete sincerity in her eyes.</p><p>“And that is why we’re going to win, Yoko-darling. We’ll make it through this because of that bond.”</p><p> </p><p>                With one last teasing wink, Hibari proceeded out of the lounge, vanishing around the corner, past the doorway, and out of sight. Left alone with my thoughts, I stopped to consider what we had discussed just now and felt a renewed sense of duty, along with the pleasant experience of having gotten to understand Hibari better.</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s right,” I spoke aloud to myself. “We’re gonna beat this, together – I’ll make sure of it.”</p><p> </p><p>                Just as I was about to leave the lounge myself, I caught the slight sound of clicking upon a wooden floor in the background, as if from the heel of a shoe. Had Hibari hung around just out of sight, just to hear my last declaration to myself? It was a little ominous but, at the same time, rather comforting in its own way.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>&lt;BOND FRAGMENT&gt;</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>                I hadn’t been paying attention all that time, but it just struck me that it was starting to get quite dark outside; the sky outside, visible through the immense lounge windows was starting to resemble royal blue velvet, with myriad stars starting to become visible the darker it got. Pulling out my eHandbook, I could see that it was creeping up to 8pm. Another few hours and night time would be upon us.</p><p>                With that in mind, I made my way out of the lounge in the direction of the dorms. I was far from tired, of course, but my conversation with Tanki from this morning was coming back to me, as the time ebbed away – if she was serious about maintaining a night watch, it would be for the best that I got whatever pockets of sleep that I could.</p><p> </p><p>                Nine hours of staying alert was not something that would be at all pleasant, even in the best of situations.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                It was curious to think about just how unsettling the lodge was late at night, without any of the now usual movement. With everyone turning in for the night, I was reminded of how eery the place seemed when Susuko and I first explored it yesterday. It was even stranger to think that I was suddenly nostalgic of something that had only happened a day ago.</p><p>                As agreed with Tanki, I had made my way to the Trophy Hall after a little over an hour of rest back in my room. In fact, I had made sure to arrive ten minutes before our agreed meeting time of 9:30pm, just to be sure that we were ready to plan our night watch as soon as possible. Fortunately, I didn’t have long to wait, as the surly bounty hunter came into view from the western hallway – Tanki must’ve come from the boys dorms, for whatever reason.</p><p> </p><p>                “Didn’t keep ya waiting, did I?” she said with a wry smirk, resting her hands behind her neck.</p><p> </p><p>                “No, not for long,” I answered. “Did you have business with the boys?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Nothing for you to worry your little lavender beansprout over.”</p><p> </p><p>                I couldn’t help but furrow my brow at her sly dig. If we were going to be working together here, it would’ve been appreciable if she could be a bit more candid.</p><p> </p><p>                “Really though, it was nothing serious – I was just making sure all those little cock goblins upstairs were present and accounted for. I’ve got Kurosawa standing in for me whilst we hash out the plan.”</p><p> </p><p>                “And Jiro didn’t mind?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, I’d fucking hope not – serves him right for taking so long to answer his door.”</p><p> </p><p>                A vivid mental image of the presumably heated argument between Jiro and Tanki popped into my head. Tanki may not have been trying to endear herself to everybody else, but I’d like to think that she coud keep something of a lid on her temper.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, since we’re both here now, we should probably cut the crap and get down to brass tacks. Here’s what I’m thinking.”</p><p> </p><p>                Tanki then proceeded to pull out a folded wad of paper from her back pocket. After unfolding it, I could now see that it was a hand drawn two page map – from the looks of it, Tanki had drawn out a detailed floor plan of the areas of the lodge that we could currently access. Every room was marked, including names and crass monikers for each and every bedroom to show who occupied which room.</p><p> </p><p>                “Gumdrop…Shady-Fraud…</p><p> </p><p>                “Eh, I’ve always sucked with names! That and it’s just amusing.”</p><p> </p><p>                I couldn’t help but feel like she’d be better at remembering names if she took the time to get to know people, but I wasn’t about to make a big thing out of it. As Tanki rattled off her plan for the evening – each of us taking up a position in one of the dormitory hallways, making sure to keep active in order to stay alert and checking in on the other on the hour – one entry in her collection of crude nicknames grabbed my attention more than any of the others and it wasn’t because of the demeaning descriptor.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Pungeon Master</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hard of hearing – be extra vigilant</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Based on the moniker, there was no doubt that this was in reference to Heikichi, but the extra note was what had me concerned. Tanki had picked up on the fact that Heikichi was hard of hearing.</p><p>                Truth be told, I had noticed this myself – the few interactions I had had with Heikichi had made me aware of certain little quirks that he displayed, as well as a difficulty keeping up with conversations – audio announcements and conversations where the speaker’s mouth was obscured, preventing lip reading; heated converstions with multiple people speaking at once, making it harder to focus. After Monokuma had appeared yesterday and announced the Killing Game, I pulled Heikichi aside in the turmoil to ask him and he admitted it on the spot.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, are you even listening?!”</p><p>               </p><p>                Tanki snapped me back to reality with an offended scowl. I’d zoned out of the conversation as I focused in on worrying about Heikichi, which really wasn’t a good thing, given that this was supposed to be a strategy meeting. I didn’t want to prolong the tension, so I decided to just be honest.</p><p> </p><p>                “So, you noticed too,” I answered, holding up the map page showing the dorms. “About Heikichi, I mean.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Good to see your brain is still turned on at least,” Tanki shot back. “Yeah, I got a strange feeling about him when we were chilling in the warehouse yesterday. A couple of minutes speaking to him and I got the general idea. Poor bastard, getting caught up in a Killing Game with that kind of handicap.”</p><p> </p><p>                I guess Tanki was pretty good at reading people after all, and she was absolutely right about Heikichi.</p><p>                It was a rotten situation for any of us to be trapped in for sure, but for someone like Heikichi, with his circumstances, I couldn’t help but worry about the potential target on his back should anyone catch on to his disability. He’d certainly achieved a great deal to be recognised as an Ultimate with that handicap, but there’s still a limit to how much any one person can deal with.</p><p> </p><p>                “So, what are we gonna do?” I asked.</p><p> </p><p>                “You’re the people person, Etsuko, so I’ll leave the punny guy to you. Just make sure to keep the lady boner under control, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>                Okay, she’s doing this on purpose now, just to get a rise out of me. I tried as hard as I could to stifle my blush as I hastily attempted to pivot the conversation back to the plan for the night watch.</p><p> </p><p>                “I can’t help but notice you’ve only mapped out the first two floors – isn’t there also the basement to consider?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Good catch, but not a problem – the only ways to get down there are the elevator and the kitchen. The lounge locks down at night, so that makes the kitchen an impossibility and, last time I checked, elevators are really fucking loud, so good luck to whatever dipshit tries to get down there that way. Besides, that shuts down at night too, so double the assurance.</p><p>                “Anyway, if both of us do our jobs properly, we shouldn’t have to worry about anyone going AWOL for now. Anything else?”</p><p> </p><p>                I took a moment to think over the specifics of the plan and it was clear that Tanki had thought it over quite a bit. I felt a little bad leaving all of the grunt work up to her. But she had insisted on handling it herself, so that was her look out.</p><p>                The plan itself was pretty well thought out, with the only real issue being the sheer endurance necessary to stay up all night. Still, I had made sure to get some rest time throughout the day to try and conserve my energy for night, but tonight would be the test to see whether or not that was a good way to prepare.</p><p> </p><p>                After picking up all of her materials, Tanki was now stood there, expecting an answer for me, so I gave her a quick shake of the head to confirm that I understood the plan.</p><p> </p><p>                “Sounds like a plan then. See ya on the other side, Etsuko, and try not to die!”</p><p> </p><p>                With a quick fist bump against my upper arm, Tanki then made an abrupt retreat, strolling leisurely back in the direction of the boys dorms. Still the same socially awkward lone wolf as ever, I see.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                By the time I had finished talking with Tanki and returned to the girl’s dormitory hallway, most the rooms appeared to be shut. I took a cursory walk down the hallway just to be sure and came upon Carolyn and Hibari wishing each other goodnight. As they were closing their doors, I caught the briefest of glimpses of Hibari as she gave me her trademark wink.</p><p>                Pulling out my eHandbook, the time was reading as 21:57 – three minutes until night-time curfew. With any luck, everyone would be settling down by now, so it was only a matter of waiting for the clock to strike ten.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Br-dnk!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                The sudden sound of a door closing behind me caused me to sharply spin on my heel, unsure of what to expect.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ah, fraulein Etsuko!” Blitzfeld beamed. “My apologies for catching you off-guard just now – Kotona and I were merely enjoying a little evening tea before bed.”</p><p> </p><p>                “I see. Seems like the two of you are becoming pretty good friends.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Ja, you could say. She really is a sweet girl, if a little…I guess you could say otherworldly at times.”</p><p> </p><p>                I kind of got what he meant – there were times where I could’ve mistaken Kotona for a porcelain doll, with the delicate way she held herself – but it was still reassuring to see friendships forming amongst the group. Perhaps there was reason to be optimistic after all.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, I won’t keep you any longer, fraulein Etsuko – sleep awaits, of course!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Of course, yes. You may want to be careful and get back before curfew is called – Tanki’s going to be keeping night watch on your end of the lodge and, well, you know what she’s like.”</p><p> </p><p>                “I thank you for the heads up. Wouldn’t want to get on her bad side, so I shall be swift. Gute nacht, fraulein Etsuko!”</p><p> </p><p>                With the sharp and formal bow, Blitzfeld wished me a good night before vanishing around the end of the hallway, moving towards the boys dorms. With our brief rendezvous now finished, I was again alone in the dorm hallway. Pacing back up to double check that everyone was in their rooms, I confirmed that everyone was accounted for – save for Tanki and I – before taking a standing position at the end, just besides the stairs.</p><p>                I didn’t have long to wait until a monitor in the corner flickered to life with the unpleasant image of Monokuma, wrapped up in winter garb, brandishing that steaming cup of liquid.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>Ahem! Your heavenly host, Monokuma, has an announcement to make!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>It is now 10pm and night-time has officially begun. The lounge is now locked and the elevator will not function until the morning.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Time to tuck in and let the sound of the mountain breeze gently lull you to sleep.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Now then, sweet dreams everyone! Good niiiiight!</em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                Having said his sickly sweet piece, the image of Monokuma vanished and the hallway was once again silent. A slight shiver shot through my body as the reality of what lay ahead struck me – the night watch had begun.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                It was well over an hour in and all was still. Not a single door had budged for that entire time and the silence remained a cold comfort. The only sounds to puncture it on occasion were the odd whistle of wind through the empty halls and the less pleasant sound of heavy metallic footsteps.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Kdnk! Kdnk! Kdnk!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                The Korikumas – Monokuma’s hulking, unspeaking sentinels – appeared to be marching in a wide loop around the first floor of the lodge. Every now and then, I could hear their bulky frames slowly working their way around the hallway below. Even if they never moved from their assigned route, I couldn’t help but feel a disheartening chill every time they came into audible range.</p><p>                Admittedly, getting the chance to see them face to face, at a distance, there was something of a goofiness to their look that somewhat detracted from the menace the more you looked. Still, my very first encounter with one had left a harsh mark and that wasn’t likely to change any time soon.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Kdnk! Kdnk! Kdnk!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Wanting to stretch my legs just a bit, if only to put distance between myself and the circling Korikumas, I made another lap of the dorm hallway, coming to a stop once again outside Carolyn and Hibari’s rooms. Both doors were still shut tight, so turned back to the window to take a seat upon the alcove, at which point I found myself dumbstruck by an unbelievable sight.</p><p>               </p><p>                The sky outside was unlike anything I had ever seen before: clusters of opalescent stars were scattered across a veritable ocean of midnight blue, as a multicoloured aurorae danced across the pristine skyline; like a ribbon of rainbow, weaving its way across the night.</p><p>                The sheer awe I felt in that moment was both humbling – an immense reminder of just how small I was in this grand unending cosmos – and, at the same time, comforting – that someone as small as I was fortunate to be able to bear witness to such a spellbinding sight.</p><p>                I knew that it was naïve to feel this way, but there really were no words to describe just how beautiful the view looked from down here. For this brief, shining moment, I could take in the vast splendour of my surroundings and forget the situation I was in – forget that I was trapped in this Killing Game.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Boi-yoing!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                “Whatcha doin’?”</p><p> </p><p>                My illusion of freedom was shattered in an instant by the sudden and unwelcome arrival of Monokuma. The black and white bear stood there in the middle of the hallway, his slasher smile mocking me with its crude permanence.</p><p> </p><p>                “Stargazing, huh? What a boring way to spend an evening!” he jeered. “That’s the thing about you humans: always looking out to the sky, always wanting more. What’s the point when you have a perfectly good planet with all the pornographic literature a repressed teenager like you could ask for. You new gen brats don’t know how good you’ve got it.”</p><p> </p><p>                He was back at his irreverent commentary, as expected. I was determined not to let him get to me, but I was starting to feeling like even I had a limit to my patience.</p><p> </p><p>                “Still, I suppose the stars aren’t all that bad. I like the Big Dipper in particular. It looks like a great big frying pan, ready to be smacked over somebody’s head at a moment’s notice.”</p><p> </p><p>                “What do you want, Monokuma?” I asked bluntly, making no effort to hide my displeasure at his presence as I swung out of the alcove and stood back up to face him.</p><p> </p><p>                “I’m just doing my due diligence as a loco parentis, or whatever you call it. It’s pretty late out, don’t cha know? A lone girl like you, all alone in a cold, empty hallway. Why, I don’t wanna dare imagine what could happen to you at this hour, especially in the midst of a Killing Game.”</p><p> </p><p>                His depravity really knows no bounds, doesn’t it? I turned my gaze away from him once again, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing him getting to me.</p><p> </p><p>                “Man, you really are no fun at all. Not like that last time…in the basement.”</p><p> </p><p>                A chill shot down my spine. I should’ve been prepared for anything to come out of Monokuma’s mouth in his attempts to unnerve me, but I was foolish to think that even he would spare me the decency of not bringing up my panic attack yesterday.</p><p> </p><p>                “Aha! That struck a nerve, now didn’t it? Did ya think I forgot about your run in with the Korikuma? Those giant bucket-brained Perspex-coated pricks may give early man a run for its money in the race for dumbest humanoid around, but they got you good yesterday. Did they strike a little close to home?”</p><p> </p><p>                He’s just bluffing. That’s it, right? He may be a depraved lunatic – or, at least, the mechanical puppet of one – but there’s no way he could actually know anything about that…right?</p><p> </p><p>                “Aw, you’re gonna keep holding out on me, aren’t ya? Don’t tell me I’m gonna have to bring the van around!”</p><p> </p><p>                This was starting to strike a little too close to home now. Just how much did he know?</p><p> </p><p>                “I guess, in the end, you’re still just a lost little girl, trapped in a cold and scary basement.”</p><p> </p><p>                “H-how did - ?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Aww, what’s the matter, Mayoko? Not able to stand tall and proud anymore? What sorta Ultimate Police Officer are ya to be left shuddering by a high tech Build-A-Bear reject?”</p><p>                “Honey, I’ve been round the block a few times, if ya catch my drift. Did you really think I’d abduct sixteen strange kids out of the blue and not do a little homework on who I’m taking? I know all about you and your run in with a certain labour trafficking ring.”</p><p> </p><p>                No, I’m not listening! Whatever he has to say, I’ll just have to ignore it.</p><p> </p><p>                “You were remarkably lucky to be found by the cops as early as you were. If they were a little slower in tracking you down, who knows what dreadful things you might have been made to do. A young girl like you may have–“</p><p> </p><p>                “S-Stop it!” I demanded, desperately trying to avoid his gaze as he hobbled closer to me, backing against the window. My heartbeat was starting to quicken as I felt myself breaking into a cold sweat. Please, not again! “Just shut up!”</p><p> </p><p>                “I don’t normally care too much to get this in depth with personal torment, but you really REALLY pissed me off yesterday, y’know? It’s been a long time since anyone has been so stubborn to me, so I needed to take a while to think about just what I’m gonna do to drive my point home.</p><p> </p><p>                My heart was now starting to pound at such a pace that I was worried that it might burst out of my stomach if it kept it up. I slid down the wall as my vision began to blur and an uncomfortably familiar light-headedness began to take over.</p><p> </p><p>                “Do you get it now, Mayoko? Like I told you before, my takeaway is your des- “</p><p> </p><p>                “Oy, Pillsbury! Get the fuck to sleep!”</p><p> </p><p>                A painfully shrill bellow echoed through the hallway from the other side of the lodge. There was no mistaking that tone – it was Tanki. I never imagined I would ever be so thankful for her presence.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, hey! What the hell was–“</p><p> </p><p>                Monokuma had no time to finish his retort as I practically leaped away from the wall, catapulting myself into a sprint to get as far away from him as possible. My heart was beating like a frantic war drum before I had even rounded the corner leading to the upper walkway above the trophy hall. If I could just focus on running, I thought, I could push everything else out of my mind and return to some semblance of control.</p><p>                The first few steps were unstable as I struggled to fight off my panic-induced delirium from earlier. My punishing pace brought me to the boys dorms quicker than I could have imagined possible, my desperate drive to escape Monokuma giving me a much welcomed shot of adrenaline. By the time I had stopped, my exhaustion had caught up to me and I was now leaning against the wall, panting heavily.</p><p> </p><p>                “What the fuck was that, Etsuko?!”</p><p> </p><p>                I turned away from the wall to meet the speaker – Tanki, her arms folded, with one of her eyebrows cocked up in a very suspicious manner.</p><p> </p><p>                “I…I was just…” I attempted to answer, struggling to find enough breath to form the words I wanted to say. “Just…”</p><p> </p><p>                “Okay, first off, breathe. You’re gonna be useless if you can’t string a fuckin’ sentence together.”</p><p> </p><p>                Just like that, she was back to her usual sharp tongue. I had to admit that her commitment to the total hardass routine was endearing in this exact moment, so I let out a half-hearted chuckle. After a few more seconds, I felt that I had regained enough breath to be able to talk to her properly.</p><p> </p><p>                “Okay…sorry about that. I, uh…I heard you shout just now and came running over. Well, it was more of a sprint, but you get the idea.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Huh? Oh right! Stay Puft Jr thought he could try and sneak off somewhere, so I decided to give him a hand getting back to bed…well, more of a boot, but same difference.”</p><p> </p><p>Did she just admit to assaulting Mochi to stop him from leaving his room? I knew we were trying to keep a night watch for everyone’s sake, but jackbooted violence wasn’t going to help anyone. I was about to tell her such until she picked up the vibe I was giving off.</p><p> </p><p>                “Don’t give me that look, Etsuko! We’re trying to stop one of these shit heads from sneaking off to commit a murder – gently gently isn’t gonna work here.”</p><p> </p><p>                I understood her concerns, but I couldn’t help but disagree with her on such a radically fundamental level. It was natural to be on alert with us being trapped within the confines of this Killing Game, but everyone else was feeling just as paranoid as we were. We were not going to be able to keep everyone on side if we couldn’t practice a little empathy.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, the fuck is wrong with you?! You’re all sweaty and rank!”</p><p> </p><p>                “I told you, didn’t I? I sprinted over because I heard you shouting.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Don’t tell me you’re that outta shape from such a short distance sprint. No, there’s something else going on here, isn’t there?”</p><p> </p><p>                As I suspected, Tanki was not at all convinced by my bold faced lie. It wasn’t anything personal but I still didn’t feel ready to share with anybody just yet about what was troubling me, not even Tanki. Besides, it was horrible enough to know that Monokuma was already intimately familiar with my past. I half expected to be chewed out or treated to one of her supposedly infamous gut punches, but she instead let out a beleaguered sigh.</p><p> </p><p>                “Look, if you’re not up to finishing your shift, I’ll keep an eye on both dorms tonight. I can’t have you operating at half strength.”</p><p> </p><p>                “No, I’ll…I’ll be fine to carry on.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Really? I won’t find you passed out on the floor again if I come over later to check up on your pale skinny ass?”</p><p> </p><p>                I really could’ve done without the insult, Tanki! Still, her request was weirdly comforting. It came across less as an offer to show off and more as a gesture of genuine concern…up until her comments about me passing out, at least. I wasn’t sure how I could really show that I appreciated her offer, so I simply offered her a basic shake of the head to show that I was good to continue.</p><p> </p><p>                “Fine, do whatever you want! Just remember that I gave you an out.”</p><p> </p><p>                Having said her piece, Tanki turned her back to me and proceeded back down the boys hallway. I was just about to turn and head back to the girls hallway when I felt a sudden urge to say one last thing.</p><p> </p><p>                “Tanki…”</p><p> </p><p>                “You can thank me by finishing your watch, since you’re so damn insistent. Now, hurry up and get back in place before I change my mind about not giving you a one-fisted belly massage.”</p><p> </p><p>                She turned back around to face the boy’s dorm hallway, signifying that the conversation was closed. I couldn’t help but chuckle again at her curtness, so I began to make my way back around to the girls’ side, not wanting to leave it unattended for too long.</p><p> </p><p>                When I got back, I found myself feeling an immense wave of relief to see that Monokuma had vacated the hallway. He seemed to have gotten his fill for now, so this hopefully meant that he would have the decency to leave me alone for the rest of the night. Still, when Monokuma is involved, you could never be too sure of what to expect, so I proceeded back to my watchpoint with caution.</p><p>                As I was halfway down the hallway however, I once again felt an air of unease as I turned to see that one of the doors was now ajar, specifically Susuko’s.</p><p> </p><p>                Oh no! Don’t tell me…</p><p> </p><p>                Without stopping to finish that thought, I threw open the door to Susuko’s room and stepped inside. Structurally, it was pretty much identical to mine, except with bubblegum pink bedding, unlike my royal blue, and a ceiling height mirror built into the wall where, in my room, there was a low bookcase.</p><p>                Stop getting distracted, Mayoko! This isn’t the time for a nose around.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Thud!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                “AH!”</p><p> </p><p>                The moment I turned around to rush out, I crashed head first into something vaguely human sized and fell to the ground. This reminded me an awful lot of what had happened when I woke up in the elevator yesterday and, just like that time, the cause of my fall was revealed to be…</p><p> </p><p>                “Susuko?!” I said, rubbing my head as I stood back up.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ow, what the hell was that? You tryna give me a concussion or something?” she complained, sat against the wall, having come close to falling against Chiba’s door, which lay opposite hers. “That’s the second time you’ve done this, Mayucko! Hey, why are you all gross and sweaty?”</p><p> </p><p>                Still as snappy as ever, I see. Still, I didn’t want to waste too much time, as I could hear the faint sound of heavy footsteps rushing towards us in the background, so I helped Susuko back up to her feet before Tanki came skidding to a halt at the northern end of the hallway. Her expression was one of great suspicion and annoyance.</p><p> </p><p>                “What the fuck was that just now?!” she shouted accusingly. Susuko appeared to be taken aback by Tanki’s sudden arrival and was having difficulty finding words for once.</p><p> </p><p>                “Don’t worry about it, Tanki, I’ll take care of her,” I offered, trying to stop another potential argument before it could even start. “Just hurry back to the boys dorm.”</p><p> </p><p>                She appeared to be rather affronted by my ordering her around, but she clearly didn’t want to waste any more time here, so she quickly vanished around the corner. I let out a sigh of relief at having defused the situation.</p><p> </p><p>                “Wait, what was half-pint doing in the boys dorms?” Susuko spoke up, shattering the tension in her usual manner. “Does she…oh my god, is she trying to get lucky?! Oh, that is just tragic.”</p><p> </p><p>                “She’s taking care of the night watch on that side of the lodge, like I told you earlier,” I answered abruptly. “The real question, Susuko, is where on earth were you? Your door was open, and you were nowhere to be found, so tell me what you were doing this late.”</p><p> </p><p>                Once again, Susuko had that deer-in-the-headlight look that was a dead giveaway of someone caught in the middle of a wrongdoing. She spent a short while umming and erring before finally giving me an answer.</p><p> </p><p>                “I was, uh…” she muttered, not daring to look me in the eye. “I was trying to, uh, get some…water? Yeah, I was really thirsty, so I wanted to – “</p><p> </p><p>                “Susuko, there’s a bathroom in your room. You could’ve gotten a glass of tap water if you were thirsty.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Are you expecting me to drink tap water? You know what garbage they put in that stuff, right?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Susuko, please, the truth!”</p><p> </p><p>                That last request came out sharper than I had intended, and it really showed. Susuko went dead silent for a moment as she was struggling to think of another possible excuse. In the end, she let out a defeated groan and finally told me.</p><p> </p><p>                “Alright, fine! I couldn’t sleep, so I wanted to go for a walk to clear my head, okay? You happy now, officer buzzkill?”</p><p> </p><p>                After she had finished giving her side of the story, the two of us stood in awkward silence for an uncomfortably long time. I was a little in awe that she would try something so utterly irresponsible at such a late hour. Regardless of how tired she was, did she not realise just how dangerous it was. Even though me and Tanki had both dorms covered, she was able to slip out easily enough, so who could say that someone else hadn’t managed it. If not one of our classmates, one of the Korikumas could have tried something.</p><p>                Still, it was in this awkward silence that it dawned on me: this was the first time, all day, that Susuko and I had had a prolonged conversation. We’d been nigh inseparable all of yesterday and, for all of today, we’d barely said much of anything to each other. I didn’t know how well she was getting on with the others, but it was clear that this situation was weighing heavily on her – a feeling I could certainly understand.</p><p> </p><p>                “Susuko, I…I’m sorry for snapping just now. It’s been a long night and I just…”</p><p> </p><p>                I trailed off before finishing my sentence, as I wasn’t sure how I could really explain to her everything that had happened with Monokuma and Tanki earlier. If nothing else, seeing that Susuko was here, safe and sound, was helping me to calm down.</p><p> </p><p>                “Look, if you want to go out for another late night walk, just let me know in advance and I’ll see what we can do. I just can’t have you wandering around on your own at night without telling anyone, not while we’re still in the middle of this whole situation. Do you understand?”</p><p> </p><p>                Susuko took an annoyingly long time to mull my suggestion over in her head, but it was good to see that she was taking it seriously, at least.</p><p> </p><p>                “Urgh, fine. I’ll let you know if I wanna go for another night-time stroll,” she groaned. “God, you’re such a nag, you know? You’d make a good housewife with that kind of persistence.”</p><p> </p><p>                Attitude aside, I was happy that she was taking my advice seriously. Tanki may not have thought much of gently gently, but I wasn’t prepared to sink to her level any time soon. That being said, Susuko chose a weird way of airing her annoyance at my concern. A housewife? The randomness made me chuckle a little, which only caused Susuko to blush a violent shade of crimson.</p><p> </p><p>                “I, uh, what…I mean, uh, no! Ah! I meant! Urgh, just get out!”</p><p> </p><p>                From saying I’d make a good housewife to shoving me out of her room like an excavator truck and slamming the door shut with the force of a bear – Susuko really was an odd duck. Still, knowing that she was a least safely back in her room, with everyone else’s doors still as tightly shut as earlier, it felt like a good time to take a breather. I pulled out my eHandbook to check the time and saw that it was creeping up to midnight.</p><p>                I gradually strolled back to the window and took my seated position upon the alcove, returning to my brief rest of stargazing. As I got into position, a radiant wave of violet washed over a distant peak.</p><p> </p><p>                Just a few more hours to go.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And there we have the first day of the Killing Game. Sorry if that was a bit too protracted, but I prefer to keep these chapters no longer than 15 pages on Word, just to make each segment easier to read. At least that's my intention. Whether or not it works is another matter entirely, so be sure to offer any feedback to possibly streamline the process for future chapters.</p><p>Also, this part is where we're starting to get some hints of the larger character mysteries and that's involving some potentially touchy subject matter, as could be seen with the hints about Mayoko's past. I'm trying my best to frame these matters in a way that is tasteful, but I also recognise that I'm probably not best equipped to write of these matters, so I'm attempting to be delicate. If I could do better, please let me know. I'm happy to be taught what I could be doing better.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 1: Daily Life (Jiro Part 1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A new day brings new danger! A threatening piece of information is brought to light as everyone gathers for breakfast.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Monokuma Theatre:</em>
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</p><p>
  <em>You wanna know what really grinds my gears these days? People not getting words right.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Communication is such an important part of everyday life, you see? You’ve gotta be clear and concise about what you say and what you mean, otherwise something can come out wrong and all hell will break loose.</em>
</p><p>
  
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  <em>It’s like when you’re talking to a friend about how much you hate yourself, but then somebody outside the room thinks that you’re talking about them. Friendship ruined all because you didn’t speak clearly enough. Wording really is important.</em>
</p><p>
  
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  <em>One thing that really bothers me is when you have words that could be said one way or the other, but most people only know one way, leading to further unnecessary confusion or annoyance. The word adaptation such an easy word to say and comprehend, but you see so many people saying adaption that it really start to get annoying.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Who cares if both are technically right?! I know it this way, so everyone needs to do it my way or else I’ll get confused. When I get confused, I start punching people. Friends, waitstaff, the building super – if anyone is in the way, I just start swinging.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>That’s why words matter, folks!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Side: Jiro</em>
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</p><p>
  <em>2F – Boy’s Dormitory</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jiro’s Room</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>Ahem! Your heavenly host, Monokuma, has an announcement to make!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Good morning, everyone! Hope you all got plenty of rest and relaxation last night, here at the top of the world.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>It is now 7AM, so wake up, get up and get out there to enjoy a beautiful new day.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>                Do you know that feeling where you just do not want to get up, under any circumstances? Where it feels like every one of your limbs is coated in lead and the amount of effort needed to drag your lifeless husk out of bed in the morning far exceeds the amount of effort that you’re likely to expend over the course of the entire day? Well, let me know how you can get that excited every day because I could really do with some tips.</p><p> </p><p>                Under the best of circumstances, getting up every day was quite an unenviable chore, especially when you’re an overworked teenager who’s constantly staring down the barrel of self-imposed deadlines. When you’re under lock and key by a world-renowned symbol of terror like Monokuma however, my usual morning grogginess was half made up of defiant annoyance. I almost wanted to stay in bed for the rest of the day, just to deny him the satisfaction of seeing me groan under the weight of his game.</p><p>                Still, I knew that this wasn’t exactly a realistic option with fifteen other hormonal powder kegs in the same situation. Much to my utter chagrin, I hauled myself out of bed and shuffled into my bathroom so that I could splash some water onto my face – a short sharp shock to my system that would hopefully be able to turn me from a gurning zombie into something resembling a respectable citizen.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Knock knock knock</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Alternatively, a visitor could come knocking. Usually, I would just wait it out and hope that whoever it was would go away. Unfortunately, when I tried to employ this strategy last night, I was treated to what felt like a drum concert on my bedroom door and a punch in the gut from our resident bounty hunter. I could just about recall Tanki saying something about nightly check ins as I struggled to get my breath back, adding that I should be more punctual if I wanted to be left standing next time.</p><p>                Not wanting to risk another doorway winding, I marched to my bedroom door and pulled it open to meet the potentially volatile visitor. Instead of Tanki however, I was greeted by…</p><p> </p><p>                “G’morning to ya, Jiro,” Mochi chirped. “Sleep well?”</p><p> </p><p>                About as well as one could sleep whilst nursing a bruised abdomen, yeah.</p><p> </p><p>                “So, uh…what’s up?” I asked, rubbing my forehead.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, nuttin’ much. I was just, uh…”</p><p> </p><p>                Now that I was starting to rejoin the land of the living, I could now clearly see that the usually cheerful baker was looking a little less bouncy than usual. If I had to be specific, he looked to be quite nervous, his magnified eyes darting left and right, almost as if trapped flies were trying to get past his glasses. Either I’d made a really terrible impression of myself yesterday or I wasn’t the only one to get a goodnight gut punch.</p><p> </p><p>                “If it ain’t a problem, Jiro, I was finkin’ I could ask a favour of ya.”</p><p> </p><p>                A favour? Past experience had taught me that any conversation starting with the request of a favour usually wasn’t a good sign, especially from someone I barely knew. Still, I was far too tired to really put up much of a fight, so I slurred out an affirmative response and stepped away, pulling my door open. Maybe a conversation would help to wake me up a little more.</p><p> </p><p>                “Aw, fankin’ ya muchly!” he cheered as he waddled into my room. “Sorry fer imposin’ so early n’ everyfin’.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Nah, you’re fine,” I groaned, pulling my door shut. “So, you said you had a favour to ask?”</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s right. Y’see, I…well, I’m not too sure how to put this.”</p><p> </p><p>                With words, hopefully.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, I can see that everybody’s still a little on edge over…well, y’know. I wanted to do a little somefin’ somefin’ to try ‘n raise some spirits around ‘ere so I decided to do what I do best: bake.</p><p>                “Specifically, I wanted to make a great big cake – somefin’ full o’ love and ‘ard work that we can all share in together; somefin’ to show Monokuma that we’re more united than he finks.”</p><p> </p><p>                Now, I’ll be the first to say that cheesy displays of friendship power were utter anathema to me – I’d helped to cut a few seasonal shonen anime in the downtime between my own film projects, so the repetitive platitudes bounced off me far too readily by this point – but the sincerity which Mochi spoke with had a certain resonance to them that tickled even my borderline Grinchy heart. Also, the fact that we were trapped in a death game together meant that I could understand where he was coming from.</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s quite the ambitious plan,” I said, slowly becoming invested in the conversation. “Okay, so what do you need me to do? Seems like you’ve already thought everything else through.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, ‘bout that. See, this is where the favour comes in. The kind o’ cake I wanna make would take an awf’ly long time to prepare, and I wanted to get started last night, but…I, uh…I kinda ran afoul of Tanki when I tried to sneak out and…”</p><p> </p><p>                Bingo!</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, I wanted to try again tonight, so I were finkin’…would ya be able to find a way to sneak me past the night watch?”</p><p> </p><p>                So, if I’ve got this right, Mochi is basically asking me to run up to a hornet’s nest, naked, and ask the swarm not to sting me? Does he really think that I’d even want to risk getting him past Tanki, let alone be able to do it in the first place? I’m many things, but certainly not a miracle worker.</p><p> </p><p>                “Is there any reason you can’t just make it during the day?” I asked. “I’m not a cake connoisseur, per se, but it seems like that’d be the safer option here.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, I know, but it’d be harder t’keep the secret that way,” Mochi replied, fidgeting with his apron strings. “Somefin’ like this really oughta be a surprise, y’know?”</p><p> </p><p>                Still, the more that Mochi’s eyes bored into me, the more I felt like I was being sucked into a whirlpool, with no hope of escape. As much as I wanted to just say “No, but good luck”, this overwhelming aura of sunshine was beaming out from behind Mochi’s glasses, threatening to melt me into a gooey puddle of guilt.</p><p> </p><p>                Oh, God damn it!</p><p> </p><p>                “Urgh, fine, I’ll see what I can do.”</p><p> </p><p>                “OH, YIPPEE!” Mochi cheered, throwing his arms around my midsection with a vicelike tightness. “Thanks, Jiro, you’re the best!”</p><p> </p><p>                Hey, personal space!</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, sorry ‘bout that. Sometimes, I get a little carried away. The fought of baking gets me a little too overexcited at times, y’see?”</p><p> </p><p>                Well, as long as that overexcitement doesn’t end up with me being squeezed like a grape, do whatever you want. I swear, saying no to you is like slapping a puppy.</p><p> </p><p>“Just one quick question,” I asked. “How are you gonna get to the kitchen when the lounge and elevator get locked at night?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, no need to worry ‘bout that – I ‘ave few tricks up me sleeve for just such an occasion.”</p><p> </p><p>                That really doesn’t fill me with confidence, y’know?</p><p> </p><p>                “A-anyway, I’d better hurry on off to the kitchen now – I haven’t gotten started on breakfast yet n’ everyone’ll be let down if I don’t get a move on! See ya, Jiro!”</p><p> </p><p>                Then, with a bouncy little bow, Mochi was out the door and skipping down the hallway, singing to himself about a mountain of sweets. I let out a huge sigh and started scratching an itchy patch on the back of my neck before trudging along the same path that Mochi had skipped along.</p><p> </p><p>                That cake had better be the best damn cake I’ve ever tasted, Mochi.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                After my unexpected morning rendezvous with Mochi, I was hoping that today could be try and be a little less uneventful – or at least as uneventful as a day trapped in a Killing Game could be – but I clearly needed to readjust my expectations. The moment that I set foot into the lounge for breakfast, I was greeted by the alarming sight of people crowded around one table, furiously murmuring about something just out of sight.</p><p> </p><p>                “What do you think it could mean?” Midori muttered, nervously fiddling with her shawl.</p><p> </p><p>                “Clearly, this is some kind of morbid set up,” Hiromu sighed. “A callous and ill-thought out trick. Obviously, this is Monokuma’s doing – that pernicious bear is trying to unsettle us.”</p><p> </p><p>                “And what if this isn’t just some trick? What if this is totally legit?” Gennai shot back.</p><p> </p><p>                “C’mon, Gennai. Do you really think this isn’t the sort of sick joke that Monokuma would try to pull?” Hibari admonished, her hand resting comfortingly on Carolyn’s back. “Besides, something this large of a scale would’ve made a headline or two, right?”</p><p> </p><p>                I couldn’t make any kind of sense of what they were talking about, so I edged forward to try and catch a glimpse of what they were talking about. As I did though, I set foot on a suspiciously creaky floorboard. A shocked gasp from Kotona caused everyone to fall silent and turn to face me. I really was not liking how, every time I entered a room, I became an attention magnet.</p><p> </p><p>                “What’s got everybody so riled up?” I asked tiredly, continuing to shuffle toward the group.</p><p> </p><p>                After some uncomfortable glances, the crowd around the table parted in front of me. Mayoko was right in the middle, her hands flat upon the table, framing the object of everyone’s discomfort. Her stony expression was a tell-tale sign that this was serious.</p><p>                It was a little too macabre for my liking, but it certainly sent a message: a cold, black metallic cone was punched into the table, cracking the delicate veneer, pinning an aged piece of paper to the table – if I had to guess, I’d say it was from some kind of internal memo. Printed upon it was a rather disturbing headline:</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>CEASE AND DESIST</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>MATSUSHIRO MURDER INVESTIGATION</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>TO HALT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE</strong>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                The page went on to describe a gruesome collection of murders that had supposedly occurred in the Spring of last year: a number of high school aged students that had gone missing, only to be found dead in an old World War II era bunker. The bunker had miraculously survived the Tragedy but had been shut down for renovations once peace had resumed.</p><p>                It sounded like a pretty gruesome tale, to tell the truth, but the most unsettling thing about all this…</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, does this actually sound familiar to anybody?” I asked sceptically.</p><p> </p><p>                “I-i-i-in what w-way?” Carolyn stammered.</p><p> </p><p>                “Like, I dunno…has anyone actually heard of these murders?”</p><p> </p><p>                “I can’t say it rings a bell to me,” Kota admitted. “Then again, with how often I travel outside of the country, I may be a bit behind on local affairs.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Wow! Humble brag, much?” Susuko sniped, clearly trying to downplay her jealousy.</p><p> </p><p>                “Matsushiro’s out near Nagano, right?” Chiba added. “I’ve gone skiing there in the winter and it’s super scenic up in the mountains. Drop dead gorge!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh boy, I’ve always wanted to go skiing!” Takuji cheered. “Just me, the mountains and an adult sized giraffe onesie.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, this is a ski resort, right? We should totes try to see if this place has a ski slope. I just wish I had my GoPro on me.”</p><p> </p><p>                I feel like we’re kinda getting off topic here.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, as someone who barely ever leaves their hometown, let alone Japan,” Hiromu cut in, pulling his book away from his face. “I can assure you that it’s not something that sounds familiar to me.”</p><p> </p><p>                Poor guy should really try to get out more.</p><p> </p><p>                “I have grandparents in Nagano,” Kotona said fondly. “I don’t see them much these days, but they write often. They’re pretty active in the community and they haven’t said anything about any murders in the last year or so.”</p><p> </p><p>                “This really is quite the enigma,” Heikichi mused.</p><p> </p><p>                “Fraulein Etsuko, you’re with the police, ja?” Blitzfeld asked. “Do these murders sound familiar to you?”</p><p> </p><p>                Without answering immediately, Mayoko slowly stood up, her gaze focused on the wanted poster, brought her finger and thumb to her chin, and casually massaged it – an expression that was awfully familiar to those that knew detective fiction – as she took time to consider her answer. Before long, she looked back up at the rest of us.</p><p> </p><p>                “Matsushiro isn’t exactly what you could call an isolated area,” she stated matter-of-factly. “It’s mostly known for sightseeing nowadays, so it’s a bit farfetched to think that something like this could happen and that no one would find out about it.”</p><p> </p><p>                “But it’s not impossible, right?” Gennai interrupted.</p><p> </p><p>“Even if this was kept from the public for some reason, there’s no way information like this wouldn’t be shared within law enforcement circles. A killer on the loose with this kind of body count would most certainly be considered a significant threat to society. As for the cease &amp; desist…”</p><p> </p><p>                “Who would even have the authority to even issue such an order?” Hibari asked. “They’d have to be pretty high up in government to clamp down on the police like this.”</p><p> </p><p>                “I dunno, this is starting to sound a bit too tin-foil hatty for my liking,” Midori muttered uneasily.</p><p> </p><p>                “Then it’s just like I said,” Hiromu sighed heavily. “This tawdry threat is nothing, but cheap fiction meant to put us on edge.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Right,” Mayoko agreed. “That’s what makes the most sense.”</p><p> </p><p>                “WRONG!”</p><p> </p><p>                A panicked shriek from Chiba brought everyone’s attention to the unwelcome interloper behind us: Monokuma, with his trademark sickening smirk, flanked by one of his horrifically chunky Korikuma bodyguards.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, man, that never gets old!” he cackled ruthless. “I even managed to get in a dated superhero reference – that’ s another one to cross off my list.”</p><p> </p><p>                “What are you trying to pull here, Monokuma?” Mayoko asked firmly. “I take it this isn’t just some cheap bit of decoration.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Cheap it wasn’t, darling! You know how hard it is to get a Spear Of Gungnir these days? That spearhead alone cost me a pretty penny. That’s yen I could’ve spent on an ultra-rare manga to burn in front of some hapless otaku!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Cut the crap, will you!” Tanki called out, but I was a little unsure where she was speaking from. Judging by everyone else’s confusion, so it seemed was the case with everyone else.</p><p> </p><p>                It was then that the big plush armchair parallel to the hearth swivelled on the spot, revealing the surly bounty hunter, sharpening a survival knife – she had seemingly abandoned her burgundy blazer as well, revealing a grease-splotched, white tank top, baring enough of the midriff to show that she was freaking jacked; and an iron shoulder pad connected to a leather bandolier, running across her torso.</p><p> </p><p>                “Tanki, where on earth did you get that knife?!” Mayoko gasped suspiciously, noticing that everyone was starting to feel a little more uncomfortable.</p><p> </p><p>                “I’ll take questions later,” she groaned, standing up to holster the knife on her belt. “But back on topic, the hell is up with that phony wanted poster, Monokuma?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Phony?” Monokuma</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, don’t talk around this, asshole! You’re seriously gonna serve us up some tacky shit like this to try and rile us up?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Rile us up?” I asked, still feeling remarkably uneasy about the cold steel in Tanki’s hand.</p><p> </p><p>                “Try and keep up, Douche Canoe! The pattern is obvious: we find ourselves in an unknown location, Monokuma shows up and does his schtick, then something threatening pops up to put us on edge…”</p><p> </p><p>                “Then you think this is a motive, right?” Mayoko asked solemnly.</p><p> </p><p>                “Aw, I’m really starting to get rusty, ain’t I?” Monokuma moaned. “It usually takes a murder or two for you kids to get used to the formula, but you’re a pretty sharp bunch.”</p><p> </p><p>                Monokuma went on to cackle to himself as everyone else started muttering nervously. Anyone that was familiar with a Killing Game would know that motives are rarely good news – it was a sure-fire sign that Monokuma was getting bored and wanted to get things moving.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, what makes you so sure it’s phony?” Monokuma continued. “Why so suspicious of a harmless little scrap of paper?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Cos it came from you, asshole! Do I need a better reason to be suspicious?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Also, there’s no official reports of any kind of mass murder of high school students to have taken place in the last year,” Mayoko concurred, her tone very firm. “A group of murders like this wouldn’t exactly be kept quiet by law enforcement, not if there’s some kind of significant threat to the public.”</p><p> </p><p>                “You really have that much faith in the police, don’t cha? With all of the rampant brutality these days, d’ya really think that they’re all in on this whole greater good schtick? I knew that you were an idealistic fool, Mayoko, but I didn’t take you for a complete dumbdumb.”</p><p> </p><p>                Mayoko didn’t respond to this pointed dig, but her glare was worth a thousand words.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, these murders are totes legit, y’all! The realest of real, the cream of the crop! The local authority that found the bodies was paid off by certain mysterious individuals to keep it hush hush – wouldn’t want any kind of horrific incident like this ruining your little post-Tragedy utopia, would they?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Mysterious individuals?” Chiba wondered aloud. “Like the men in black? That’s totes sus if you ask me. Does this mean we’re gonna get neuralyzed or something?”</p><p> </p><p>                “You really think the men in black actually exist?” Gennai asked judgementally. “Don’t you think that’s a bit too absurd?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, and a crazy robo bear trying to make us kill each other isn’t?” Susuko snarked. “Were you dropped on your head as a baby or something?”</p><p> </p><p>                Could the peanut gallery hold off on the irreverent commentary for a moment? This is a bit of a serious situation. Good grief, when did I become such a stick in the mud?</p><p> </p><p>                “So, why are you telling us all of this?” Mayoko asked, trying to recentre the conversation. “What good could come from telling us of some miscellaneous mass murder?”</p><p> </p><p>Monokuma drew close, jumping onto the table so that he was in the middle of everyone.</p><p> </p><p>                “Cos the killer…is one of you!”</p><p> </p><p>                There it was – the other shoe had finally dropped. The tension that had been building since the discovery of the wanted poster had finally burst and muttering had broken out once again. Monokuma had gotten exactly what he’d wanted and was having a disgustingly joyful laugh about it. What I would give to punt him fuzzy ass into the fireplace; it’s just a shame I’d probably get my head knocked off for trying.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, I’ll leave you kids alone to ponder your next move – I have an I-Land marathon to catch up on. I swear, something about that show seems weirdly derivative.”</p><p> </p><p>                Monokuma then clapped his hands together, which seemed to be a signal for the Korikuma behind him to barge through the crowd of us around the table and pick Monokuma up and carry him out of the room. With the Lurch-like bodyguard’s heavy footsteps vanishing into the distance, we were once again left alone in the lounge, trying to process what Monokuma had just given us.</p><p>                A motive to kill, huh? A crazed murderer was trapped in this lodge with us? Even if we didn’t want to trust Monokuma, the situation was starting to get dire and everyone was starting to feel it.</p><p> </p><p>                “Monokuma can prance and preen all he wants, but I swear I won’t let him have what he wants,” Mayoko proclaimed, sitting back down.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well said, Fraulein Etsuko!” Blitzfeld boomed, trying to help raise the mood back up.</p><p> </p><p>                “Still, I don’t understand. Just what was the point of revealing to us that there’s already a murderer hiding among us? Isn’t that just going to put this apparent murderer under pressure and make them less likely to act out?”</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s assuming the motive was intended for the mystery murderer,” Tanki suggested, unsheathing her knife. A tense gasp sounded out as she proceeded to juggle it in her hand. “I’m sure that it isn’t that simple.”</p><p> </p><p>                “What exactly are you implying?” I asked suspiciously, very mindful of the cold steel dancing in the air around Tanki’s hand.</p><p> </p><p>                “Urgh, do I really have to spell everything out for you dumbasses?! If there’s already a killer in here with us, they wouldn’t need some kind of motivation to get killing. Monokuma dropped that bombshell because he wanted to put pressure on the rest of us.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Then you think that Monokuma is trying to make us distrustful of each other?” Hibari asked, seemingly picking up what Tanki was suggesting. “He wants to put us on edge and make us see an enemy around every corner.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Kill or be killed,” Kota grimly concluded. “There’s a devious cunning to it, I must admit. What could make us want to escape more than the knowledge that someone among us is ready and willing to turn murderer at a moment’s notice?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Kinda like being locked in a cage with a tiger, right?” Midori added trepidatiously.</p><p> </p><p>                What a colourful analogy.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, if any of us is a tiger, shouldn’t we suspect the crazy bitch with the huge knife?” Susuko shouted, in a noticeable panic.</p><p> </p><p>                “Uh, Susuko. I think you need to calm down,” Kotona started meekly.</p><p> </p><p>                “Come on, people! Don’t tell me that none of you weren’t freaked out when she just happened to whip a freaking knife out of nowhere. Where were you even hiding that thing anyway?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh please, Gumdrop!” Tanki cackled, continuing to juggle the knife. “If I really wanted to kill any of you, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to start brandishing a deadly weapon in full view of everyone, now would I?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, uh, no. Even so, I – “</p><p> </p><p>                “Susuko, please!” Mayoko , planting a hand on Susuko’s shoulder to try and calm her down. “And Tanki, could you please put that knife away?”</p><p> </p><p>Tanki sighed before sheathing her knife again. Susuko was clearly still unhappy about Tanki’s backtalk, but it seemed as though she was ready to let this go for now. Mayoko then turned her gaze back to the rest of us.</p><p>                “Look, I don’t want to believe what Monokuma is trying to tell us, but I’m not about to let him start tearing us apart. Maybe there’s a killer among us, maybe there isn’t, but I’m not about to let him drive us apart. Mark my words.”</p><p> </p><p>                Not a word was spoken by anyone for the next few minutes. Mayoko’s effort to assuage us was appreciated, but everyone was clearly struggling to process everything that we had just learned. It was hard to decide how to act next, knowing that someone among us had already taken life.</p><p> </p><p>                “Sorry ‘bout the wait, everyone!” Mochi chirped musically, skipping into the room with a tray full of pastries. “So, what’d I miss?”</p><p> </p><p>                Everyone proceeded to avoid eye contact for the next few seconds. Apparently, it hadn’t occurred to anybody to keep Mochi upstairs for the discussion about the strange paper. Clearly, he felt the awkwardness too as he kinda shuffled on the spot, looking for some kind of reassurance.</p><p> </p><p>                Well, I suppose a croissant could help settle the nerves a little.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                After a rather awkward breakfast, my first port of call for the day was the lodge’s Souvenir Store. Despite finding an ungodly amount of coins yesterday, all emblazoned with Monokuma’s sickening grin, I was somehow still finding them all over the place. With nothing better to do with them, I often found myself visiting the store just to throw them into the creepy-looking gachapon machine.</p><p>                From what I could figure out, the capsules that the Monomono Machine spat out contained coupons that could be traded in for an absurd number of gifts of various kinds, some of which made me seriously wonder what kind of whack jobs ran this lodge, assuming that the gifts weren’t actually an unsettling prank by Monokuma. Still, throw away the coins I did until I was bored enough to leave.</p><p> </p><p>                As I exited the store and began to make my way towards the atrium, hoping that I could think of something interesting to do by the time I got there, something stood out to me in the spellbound silence of the hallway. At the alcove that led out to the atrium, I could see someone hunched weirdly against the wall, peering down the hallway at something. I recognised that mess of vibrant pink hair as Susuko, but as to what she was staring at…was that Heikichi?</p><p>                The cheery chemist was stood just outside the Medical Office, inspecting two bottles with an unwavering focus whilst, unbeknownst to him, Susuko was carefully watching his every move. This would be a red flag to me, given that this was a Killing Game, but I could’ve been jumping to a conclusion for all I knew – Susuko’s pretty socially clueless, so maybe this was her way of making friends? If so, she really needed to try better ways.</p><p> </p><p>                Normally, this is the kind of situation that I wouldn’t want anything to do with. Unfortunately, Susuko’s position in the hallway meant that sneaking past her would take an ungodly amount of skill, and I didn’t get any carboard boxes from that weird gacha machine, so I was well and truly up the creek here.</p><p>                Looking around, my only real option was a set of double doors ahead of me, labelled as the Warden’s Office. Last time I checked, Monokuma had decided to set up shop here, so it was the last place I would want to go in any other situation. That said, it just occurred to me that I could also just slip back into the store and no one would be the wiser. Good job overcomplicating a really simple problem, Jiro!</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>BrrrRRRRR! BrrrRRRRR!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Oh, crap!</p><p> </p><p>                Just as I had edged my way back through the door of the store, an incredibly obnoxious siren went off – the gacha machine was flashing up big vibrant letters on the display, saying LUCKY PULL. Wait, it’s been five minutes since I last put a coin in. That’s the last time I trust a gacha machine!</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey! Who’s there?!”</p><p> </p><p>                Just as I feared – the siren had alerted Susuko’s attention to someone being here – any hopes of sneaking off were rather cruelly dashed in an instant. In a last ditch effort to try and save my dignity, I decided to just stand completely still in the doorway of the store. With any luck, she would just lose interest and go back to her staring at Heikichi.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, don’t try and sneak off, you little creeper. I know you’re there, whoever you are.”</p><p> </p><p>                Of course, that would require me to actually be lucky in this case. Where’s Gennai when you need him?</p><p> </p><p>                “Hi, Susuko,” I called out as I stepped out of the store. “Lovely, uh...weather we’re having.”</p><p> </p><p>                Susuko leapt back a short distance once I had made myself known – despite knowing I was here, she was somehow shocked by my stepping out? I really do not get this chick at all.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh , it’s you” she said flatly, her face falling in an instant as she crossed her arms, pouting at me. “Why were you stalking me, you loser?!”</p><p> </p><p>                Stalking’s a strong word for bumping into each other by complete coincidence. I had to think for a second about whether I really wanted to let her chew me out for doing nothing wrong. As much as I wanted to just walk away from her incoming tirade, I could tell that she was looking for an excuse to just let loose and I figured that it would be better to just get it over with now.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                Thus, I foolishly allowed myself to get chewed out by Susuko for a good chunk of the morning – it was thoroughly exhausting but, at odd little moments, I could almost get some kind of sense of where she was coming from, between all the catty put downs.</p><p>                When it seemed as if she was calming down, she reached out and grabbed a packet of gum that was sitting in the pocket of my sweater vest – there go the spoils of my battle with the gachapon machine. I would’ve probably complained if I weren’t so exhausted from the needling, so I let it slide just this once. Of course, she then proceeded to blow a large bubble just so she could burst it in my face, so I had to question whether that was really such a wise idea in the first place.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, I’ve said what I wanna say, so why don’t you just buzz off, you little creep?”</p><p> </p><p>                She then turned on her heel and began to strut off. It was at that moment that I felt a sudden strength well up inside of me. Even if it was just a petty need for retribution, I wanted to at least say something.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, hold on!” I shouted back, surprising myself with my sudden jump in volume. Evidently, Susuko was just as caught off guard, as she did a funny little leap on the spot before turning back to me.</p><p> </p><p>                “Urgh, what do you want now?! Don’t you know how rude it is to pester a girl when she says no? People are gonna start gossiping about you.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Says the girl who was pestering me in the first place. It’s not my fault you were acting weird and jumpy earlier.”</p><p> </p><p>                “What?! No! I-I wasn’t doing anything!” Susuko choked, her eyes widening. “I was just, uh, heading back to my room. Anyway, if you weren’t stalking me, why were you trying to sneak off? You were clearly up to something, you…creep.”</p><p> </p><p>                Pot calling the kettle, much?</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s called being embarrassed,” I sighed in response. “You should really try it some time.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Hah, as if I have anything to be embarrassed about! Have you even met me?”</p><p> </p><p>                Yes, unfortunately.</p><p> </p><p>                Whatever she was up to, she was clearly trying not to be spotted, otherwise she could’ve very easily just gone up to Heikichi like a normal person and chatted his ear off. Luckily for him however, he’d decided to go in the completely opposite direction, towards the lounge. I’m not sure what he was up to with those bottles, but Susuko had clearly missed her chance for whatever she was trying to do.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, I don’t know much about stalking, but doesn’t there need to be a person...you know, being stalked?” I asked her, wondering if she had even noticed her quarry had gotten away.</p><p>                She seemed to be a little slow on the uptake, so I did a wide gesture with my arms to the now empty hallway, which finally seemed to get her attention.</p><p> </p><p>                “Wait, hold up!” she gasped, running first to the doorway of the now (presumably) vacant Medical Office, then to the stairs up to the Girls Dorms, before finally just stamping her foot in annoyance. “He was just-“</p><p> </p><p>                “Well?”</p><p> </p><p>                She was clearly still frustrated at having lost her quarry, so it took her a moment to regain her haughty composure.</p><p> </p><p>                “Huh?! Well, duh! Of course there needs to be a person being stalked. In this case, the stalkEE is me,” she continued, jabbing herself in the sternum to accentuate the word ‘stalkee’.</p><p>                “And then there’s you, the stalkER!” she carried on, now jabbing me. “Sinking in yet, you weird stalker freak?!”</p><p> </p><p>                Smoothly put.</p><p> </p><p>“You... really don’t have a lot of friends, do you?”</p><p> </p><p>                Susuko’s eyes then widened in utter incredulity. At that moment, I just realised that I’d accidentally said that last part out loud. Not gonna lie though, it was kinda worth it.</p><p> </p><p>                “Excuse me! I have loads of friends, actually – like, a ton. I just wouldn’t wanna hang out with any of the sad sacks here, unless I really had to. They’re all so ‘look at me, aren’t I so special cos I  can talk to ghosts’ or ‘let me read a book at you, but pretentious-like’, y’know? Like, do you see how screwed up all this is? At least you’re kinda normal, aside from being a weird stalker freak.”</p><p> </p><p>                Gee, thanks for the olive branch!</p><p> </p><p>                Still, it was hard to say that she was entirely wrong, even if her scathing critiques of our fellow students were incredibly catty. This whole situation would be a tough crock of shit for anyone in their right mind. Susuko may be an abrasive jerk, but this is the kind of situation that can bring out the worst in anyone, so I can empathise to some degree.</p><p> </p><p>                “I suppose I can’t entirely disagree, at least as far as this situation is concerned. I’m not sure I’d wanna wish this living situation on anybody.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Exactly, it’s completely crazy!</p><p> </p><p>                Okay, we finally agreed on something. That’s progress, I guess. Now, if we could just move past the awkward silence, we might be able to get somewhere. Knowing Susuko, there has to be someone here that she doesn’t find intolerable, even by her own high standards.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, I suppose not everyone is bad,” I started. “Yeah, there are quite a bunch of eccentrics, but Mayoko seems to have a pretty good lid on everything.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, she’s pretty g– “ Susuko concurred, her eyes even lighting up a little, until suddenly catching herself before she could be sincerely complimentary. “She’s, uh, alright, I guess. Anyway, why are you so interested. You got a crush on her or something? I doubt she’d go for a creep like you.”</p><p> </p><p>                I’m just gonna ignore that comment, not that there was anything to admit to anyway.</p><p> </p><p>                “I dunno. I may have gone outta my way to hang out with her if we weren’t stuck in this holiday from hell. At the very least, I may have had an eye for her to join my cheer squad.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, really? What exactly does an Ultimate Cheerleader, like yourself, look for in a squad?”</p><p> </p><p>                To her credit, Susuko didn’t answer me right away with some snappy put down and actually appeared to give some real thought to her answer.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well…they have to be pretty, of course – you can’t have a total uggo on a cheer squad – athletic too, you know with all the choreoga…the flips and lifts we do; and, uh…strong. Mentally strong, y’know? You get a lot of people coming after you when you’re a big deal cheerleader. Whether it’s rival cheer squads, creepy stalker types – you know, like you – or people who are just jealous of what you have, so you’ve got a lot of stuff you just need to brush off.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Sounds about right,” I sighed. The first point was really shallow and superfluous – about what I expected – but it was also a fairly eye opening response. She’s clearly being doing this cheerleading gig for quite a while, so it’s likely that she’s encountered a fair amount of both the light and dark of that kind of high profile life.</p><p>                “Then again, I‘m not really that much of a sports follower, so I guess I have to take your word for it.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, you should!” Susuko scoffed. “I’m not the Ultimate Cheerleader for nothing y’know!”</p><p> </p><p>                Well, I suppose it’s good that she’s still confident in herself. Still, even behind that smug veneer, I couldn’t help but feel like there was something just below the surface. I wouldn’t call it sinister, per se, but it definitely felt like she was putting on some kind of a front. A strange girl, indeed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>&lt;BOND FRAGMENT&gt;</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>                Have taken her chance to brag about herself, Susuko turned on her heel and began to strut off again, clearly signalling that she was done with this conversation. Honestly, I was thankful and all, but would it really have been too much to just say bye, or even smell you later. I’m not even sure why I care so much.</p><p>                Anyway, now that I was free from her, I had only one thing in mind before I made any other decision today. I had a big cushiony bed waiting for me back in my room and I feel like I’ve earned a nap. With any luck, this afternoon will be more productive.</p><p> </p><p>                Oh yeah. Luck isn’t MY talent. Damn it, Gennai!</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And here we are, swinging back to Jiro for the day. The intended pattern will be to give Mayoko and Jiro a day each for each Daily Life. How Deadly Life goes will vary per chapter, but I hope that the alternation of protagonist helps freshen up the reading experience.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 1: Daily Life (Jiro Part 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After a long day with confrontational company, Jiro settles down for the night, hoping that he can at least get some peace in his sleep. Unfortunately, this is a Killing Game, so peace is a luxury that few could afford.</p><p>CW // Descriptions of bloody violence</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>                Well, after a…uh, delightful few hours with Susuko, I beat a rather hasty retreat back to my dorm room, my divinely soft mattress acting as the perfect relaxation agent. For a magnificent little half hour, all my doubts and fears melted into silky oblivion. You know, maybe if I wasn’t trapped on top of a creepy mountain, in a life or death game of deception, with a bunch of strangers, I could call this peace – Lady Fate really knows how to rub it in, doesn’t she?</p><p>                Deciding that I’d spent more than enough time bemoaning my lot in life, I casually slid out of my bed, ready to head back out. I still had some time left in the day, after all. Sure, I rolled snake eyes this morning with Susuko, but I’m sure that my patience will be rewar-</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, Douche Canoe!”</p><p> </p><p>                Two seconds out of the door – that’s gotta be a world record, right? I’d barely left my room when the characteristically shrill voice of our resident Bounty Hunter rattled inside my ear canal for a moment and brought me screeching to a halt.</p><p> </p><p>                “Tanki, hey, how’s it going?” I muttered, hardly bothering to feign enthusiasm. “Still snowing on your side of the lodge? I’ve heard we’re in it for the long run.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Don’t be a smartass with me, Kurosawa!” Tanki sharply retorted as she barged past me and pulled up a chair for herself. “I’m not here for a fuckin’ forecast – I want a different kind of information.”</p><p> </p><p>                Sure. After calling me “Douche Canoe” and barging into my room uninvited, the notoriously short-tempered half pint just wants a friendly chat. How about I roll out the oolong while you make yourself comfortable?</p><p>                “What kind of information?” I asked suspiciously.</p><p>               </p><p>                “About yourself, mostly. That gonna be a problem?”</p><p> </p><p>                She said that so matter-of-factly. I still hadn’t actually agreed to this sudden invasion of my privacy, so what the heck was she so dead set on? Has she been doing this with everyone?</p><p>                “Why the sudden interest in my life story? You gearing up to write my biography or something? No offence, but I’d rather leave that up to someone with a less acidic tongue.”</p><p> </p><p>                “You give yourself way too much credit,” Tanki retorted sharply. “It’s because, after spending all morning listening to Acrobitch, Lucky McNobody and Captain Cold Shoulder, I thought I could do with somebody who’s a bit more predictable.”</p><p> </p><p>                I’m flattered.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, just so long as you answer all my questions, there’ll be no need to worry.”</p><p> </p><p>                Well, now I am worried.</p><p> </p><p>                “Does that snark of yours have an off switch?!”</p><p> </p><p>                Nope.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                And so, I spent the rest of what was supposed to be a nice, relaxed afternoon being grilled by Tanki. From mundane to maddening, her questions seemed to have a rather clear purpose. What that purpose was I had no idea but, for some bizarre reason, I found myself starting to gain some kind of understanding of the kind of person Tanki Gurenko was…you know, outside of the foul-mouthed half pint with a kick that has crushed many a crotch.</p><p>                My trip to the Souvenir Store earlier meant that I had an influx of assorted gifts lying around my room – I wasn’t in the mood to give Tanki anything nice though, given her imposition, so I just reached for one of the water bottles that were starting to pile up next to my bed and lazily threw it in her direction. The way that she caught it so effortlessly was hardly surprising, especially compared to the inhumanly swift act of her downing it in less than five seconds and lobbing the crumpled remains into my trashcan without looking.</p><p> </p><p>                “Can’t say that I’m too surprised that your gift-giving etiquette is as half-assed as you are,” Tanki sneered. “Still, all that interrogating really worked up a thirst, so thanks.”</p><p> </p><p>                Honestly, that’s probably the closest she’ll ever come to giving me a compliment, so I’ll take it.</p><p>                For a couple of seconds, Tanki said nothing as her eyes scanned up and down my exhausted body, squinting with such intensity that I was worried she could see in X-Ray vision. I tried not to let it show but it was really unnerving.</p><p> </p><p>                “So that’s pretty much it, huh?” she asked flatly.</p><p> </p><p>                What was she expecting? Yeah, my life’s not exactly a blockbuster rollercoaster of drama, but it’s not like I’ve ever tried to big myself up as some kind of super big shot. Annoying as it is to admit, my talent’s the only thing that’s Ultimate about me.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, if that’s all you’ve got, I’ll just be going now.”</p><p> </p><p>                That’s it? Seriously?! I spent a good chunk of the afternoon telling this crazy chick all sorts of bizarre things. Family background, hobbies and interests, embarrassing crushes – whatever she wanted to know, I told her (mainly because she threatened to never leave if I didn’t). After all that, she just up and leaves? No way! I’m getting some answers of my own.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey! Hold on a second!”</p><p> </p><p>                “What?!” she shot back fiercely. “You remembered the first time you ever rubbed one out?!”</p><p> </p><p>                What kind of example was that?! Uh, never mind!</p><p>                “Hell no! I just think I’m entitled to a few questions of my own after…whatever the heck this was.”</p><p> </p><p>                She answered my demands with a scowl that could move a heard of elephants. I tried to stand my ground, but my wobbling knee was a dead giveaway.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hrngh, fine!” she groaned aggrievedly, throwing her head back. “Just don’t take forever, got it? I’ve got a tight schedule, so any stupid questions will get you a fist in the face.”</p><p> </p><p>                Thanks for the warning, I guess. Still, good job piling the pressure on. I kinda like having my face in one piece, so I’d better ask a decent question. Honestly though, the choice was pretty obvious.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, first off, could you at least explain what the point of this interrogation was?” I began, matter-of-factly. “You didn’t exactly look too thrilled to be here yourself, so what gives? What made me such an interesting prospect all of a sudden?”</p><p> </p><p>                Tanki stopped for a moment and brought her hand to her chin, seemingly deep in thought. It almost looked as though she was entering a meditative stance. Against my better judgement, I started to lean in closer, hoping that some of that mental horsepower would spread to me – osmosis or something, I dunno.</p><p> </p><p>                “Uh...well?”</p><p> </p><p>                Without warning, Tanki thrusted her fist forward, stopping mere centimetres from my face as she snapped awake. What the hell was that for?!</p><p> </p><p>                “I was contemplating something,” she answered brusquely. “Namely, how hard I’d have to hit you to break your nose in one strike…”</p><p> </p><p>                I unconsciously started reaching for my nose at that last threat but caught myself before my hand could reach my sternum. I shoved it back into my pocket and looked away as she snorted at my slip up.</p><p> </p><p>                “Still, I suppose it wasn’t an entirely unreasonable question,” she continued, turning to the chair at my desk and sitting down in a reverse position - how lady-like! “Fair enough, I’ll give you this one – are you familiar with the concept of psychometric profiling?”</p><p> </p><p>                Psycho-what now? I’d heard of profiling, certainly, but did she really have to show off by using the full name?</p><p> </p><p>                “Heh, figures!” she sighed derisively. “Think of it this way, shit-for-brains: sixteen highly volatile teenagers, locked in a mountaintop lodge, in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere…it’s only a matter of time until someone cracks under the pressure. I’ve been involved with enough cases to know when the stench of murderous intent is in the offing.</p><p>                “By spending time with everyone in sequence, I should be able to gain a decent enough working understanding of all your psychological makeups so that I can judge the situation as I see fit. Long story short, you tell me what I need to know, and I keep you piss ants alive as long as possible.”</p><p> </p><p>                Vulgarity aside, I can kinda see what she’s getting at. It’s true that this is a high pressure situation, so it makes sense for her to use her own experiences for our benefit. Still, I can’t help but feel like she’s made a bit of a critical error in her explanation just now.</p><p> </p><p>                “If that’s the case, are you sure it’s a good idea to just admit your tactics like that?” I answered. “For all you know, I could be planning to bump you off here and now, so why are you so confident with just blurting out your plan like that?”</p><p> </p><p>                It was probably a terrible idea to just say that out loud and put my own neck on the line, but if she was really serious about profiling everybody, the least she could do is keep her cards closer to her chest.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hah! Hahahahaaa!”</p><p> </p><p>                Or she could just laugh in my face, like a coked-up hyena! Seriously, what was so funny about my perfectly reasonable observation?</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, it’s nothing,” she laughed, shuffling off of the chair, hopefully towards the door so she can just leave. “I just found it kinda adorable that you thought I didn’t consider that. Boy, you really are a dumbass!”</p><p> </p><p>                “So, what was your point, exactly?” I asked, struggling to hold in my exasperation. Honestly, I didn’t even care at this point - I just wanted her out of my room.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ain’t it obvious?!”</p><p> </p><p>                Way to be obtuse about the whole thing. Just when I thought she was leaving; she decides to drag it out like that. Here I thought she had a tight schedule. Anyway, the reason she told me her plan was...</p><p> </p><p>                “You don’t see me as a threat, right?” I asked, admittedly only half share of my own answer.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, whaddaya know? Turns out you actually do have a brain, Kurosawa!” she snarked, cocking her eyebrow up in…approval? I didn’t know. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if I cared.</p><p> </p><p>                Still, I suppose that was her way of saying I was alright. She comes from such a radically different world than I do, so I guess it’s no surprise that she has trouble dealing with people directly. Still, the smug attitude could certainly do with some serious work.</p><p> </p><p>                “Of course, I could just be lying to throw you off balance,” she continued, lowering her voice to a sudden and sinister whisper. “For all I know, you could have a shiv under the mattress right now, ready to gut me like a trout at any moment…”</p><p> </p><p>                I’m not even gonna dignify that with a response. After a few seconds passed, her glare turned back into her trademark wicked smirk and she lightly pounded her fist on my chest, as if I thought it was a funny joke – it wasn’t!</p><p> </p><p>                “Ya know what, Douche Canoe?” she started smugly. “Maybe you aren’t such a waste of oxygen after all.”</p><p> </p><p>                I was struggling really hard to not reach out and throttle her as she opened the door back out to the corridor. Still, it was over. Finally over! Maybe now, I could actually get some relaxation today.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, and Kurosawa?”</p><p> </p><p>                What now?!</p><p> </p><p>                “Don’t go gutting any trout while I ain’t looking or I may have to break your nose!”</p><p> </p><p>                With that last sarcastic quip, Tanki let out an annoying cackle and slammed my door shut behind her. Once I was certain that the coast was clear, I collapsed into a heap onto my bed, my face colliding with the pillow as I let out an ungodly groan - finally, peace and quiet!</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>&lt;BOND FRAGMENT&gt;</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>                So, I spent all morning getting grilled by Susuko for just existing and then I had to deal with Tanki in the afternoon for whatever the hell that was - psychometric profiling, stench of murderous intent; give me a break! No one in this lodge is crazy enough to actually kill anybody, especially with that Class Trial stipulation, right?</p><p>                Oh well! None of that really mattered anyway. It was gonna be night-time in a few hours and I just wanted to go to bed and pretend that today never happened. I’m gonna wake up tomorrow morning, after a nice long sleep and see if I can actually do something productive.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Knock kn-knock knock, knock knock!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                UUUURRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!</p><p> </p><p>                Who the hell is that?! Can’t I just have one moment of calm today? One God damn moment? Apparently not.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Knock, kn-knock!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Like the world’s most depressed zombie, I dragged myself over to the door of my room, taking a consternated grip on the handle.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Knock knock!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                With a mighty heave, I wrenched the door open to find myself greeted with Takuji and his unbearably cheerful face.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, J-Dawg!” Takuji chirped, bouncing on the spot just outside my door. I responded by slamming it in his rosy face.</p><p> </p><p>                Lady Fate: you and me are having words one of these days.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                A couple more hours had passed and, before I knew it, night-time was nearly upon us. Any minute now, I would hear the revoltingly cheery tones of that damn teddy bear flow out over the intercom. My room’s monitor would pop to life with the image of Monokuma, still brandishing that cup of hot cocoa he seemed so fond of, as he would begin his usual evening proclamation.</p><p>                For the third night in a row, said announcement would do anything but comfort me as I lay motionless on top of my bed. I was kind of hoping that I wouldn’t have to get used to his grating personality, but I was starting to grow resigned to the fact that a peaceful school life continued to be as far away from me as a horse was to King Richard at Bosworth Field.</p><p>                For the past few hours, I was dragging myself around my room in a triangular pattern, from my bed to my door and then to my trashcan, which was now halfway full of torn up pictures. Takuji had decided that he wanted to try and “cheer me up” with some of his “artistic endeavours” – when I say “artistic endeavours” however, what I really meant was a never-ending supply of bizarre polaroids with “witty” remarks around the top and bottom. It was tonight that I finally realised exactly what kind of lord Takuji was, and that realisation made me seriously reconsider Hope’s Peak Academy’s worth as a government-funded institution of learning.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Knock knock knock</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                I didn’t even have the energy to groan any more.</p><p> </p><p>                You know what? I’ve had enough of this. It’s night-time now and I just want to sleep, so I’m gonna open that door and tell Takuji exactly where he can shove his “artistic endeavours”. I take a firm grip on the door handle and wrench it open with all of my might.</p><p> </p><p>                “Stop giving me memes, you gangly – “</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh!”</p><p> </p><p>                Huh!</p><p> </p><p>                Have you ever just wanted to crawl into a deep dark hole and bury yourself in it until the end of time? Well, get your own hole, because this one is occupied. When I opened the door, ready to give Takuji an earful, of course it wasn’t actually Takuji this time.</p><p> </p><p>                “Are you okay, Jiro?” Mayoko bemusedly asked.</p><p> </p><p>                “I, uh…” I mumbled, desperately trying to swallow the huge wad of embarrassment that had just struck me in the face. In the end, all I could do was sigh. “It’s been one of those days, y’know?”</p><p> </p><p>                “I see. Is it something you want to talk about?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Not particularly. I’m guessing it’s time for night watch, right?”</p><p> </p><p>                “It is, yes. I’m just making sure that everyone is in their rooms before it starts.”</p><p> </p><p>                Smart thinking. It’s not like there’d be much point in keeping a watch if everyone wasn’t already here. As I was talking to Mayoko however, I couldn’t help but pick up an odd noise in the background. It sounded sooth and whimsical and was coming from deeper into the dorm hallway. I poked my head out of my room to try and hear it a little better.</p><p> </p><p>                “That’s coming from Blitzfeld’s room,” Mayoko informed me. “He says he finds it easier to settle down for the evening with musical accompaniment. It is a rather pleasing composition.”</p><p> </p><p>                Well, she wasn’t entirely wrong. The piece that was playing right now was a rather playful one, yet pretty understated at the same time. It sounded vaguely familiar, as if it was a piece I had come across whilst locked way in the cutting room, but I couldn’t quite put a name to it. Still, lovely as it was, it would be nice if he could close his door at least.</p><p> </p><p>                “I don’t mind it too much,” Mayoko said cheerfully. “Anything to help with the monotony of patrolling a hallway all night.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah, that really cannot be pleasant,” I concurred. “You are actually taking some time to rest here and there, right?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Don’t worry about that, Jiro. I’ve got a pattern all figured out. Besides, making sure that everyone is safe has to be my priority.”</p><p> </p><p>                There she goes again, trying to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders – there’s being dutiful, then there’s doing active harm to yourself for the benefit of others. I was surprised that I cared so much, but something just didn’t sit right with me. She was trying to do so much for us, but if she ended up working herself to death in the process, then it’d all end up being for nothing.</p><p> </p><p>                “Look, Mayoko, I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but – “</p><p> </p><p>                “Sorry, Jiro, could you hold on for just a moment?”</p><p> </p><p>                Mayoko cut me off and then drifted up the hallway carefully, her brow furrowing as if she was trying to catch a sound in the distance. I wish she could’ve at least let me finish before she had to go all mysterious for a second. At this point, a part of me wanted to just close my door now and slide back into bed, eager to not get involved with whatever was happening, but another, more annoying, voice told me that I should keep an ear out as well.</p><p>                As I edged closer and closer to the stairs, coming up to where Mayoko was stood, I could start to make out a voice in the hallway below. It was too far away to catch any details of the conversation, but the speaker’s voice was low and masculine.</p><p> </p><p>                Mayoko was starting to take tentative steps downstairs. “Isn’t that – “    </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>SCHNIKT!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                Okay, whatever that was, it did not sound good. It sounded somewhat metallic, almost like a knife being unsheathed. Wait…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>SHNCK!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                “AHH!”</p><p> </p><p>                Okay, now that definitely wasn’t good! A slashing sound, followed by a short sharp scream is never a good sign. Without missing a beat, Mayoko instantly took off down the stairs as I was still trying to reclaim my bearings. I was about to follow her until a thought occurred to me.</p><p>                I dashed back to my room and seized a slip of paper from my desk – a note meant for Mochi, telling him that the coast was clear. I didn’t feel great taking advantage of what was clearly a bad situation, but I most likely wouldn’t get a better opportunity, so I slipped the note under Mochi’s door and knocked on it twice.</p><p> </p><p>                “Herr Kurosawa! What is the matter?”</p><p> </p><p>                I turned to face back down the hallway and saw Blitzfeld leaning out of his room, his face perplexed. I was so caught off-guard, I could barely mutter anything more than: “It’s, uh…”</p><p> </p><p>                “Jiro, come quick!”</p><p> </p><p>                Mayoko’s shout from below seized my attention. The last thing I needed right now was Blitzfeld to make things even more complicated than they were about to be right now.</p><p>                “Look, just stay in your room, okay?” I said back to him, trying to sound somewhat authoritative. “I’ll help Mayoko, you just go back to bed.”</p><p> </p><p>                Blitzfeld looked even more puzzled, and perhaps a little indignant at my suggestion, but I didn’t have time to worry about him right now. Not wanting to keep Mayoko waiting any longer, I practically leapt down the first flight of stairs up ahead before turning the corner and descending the next flight to reach the floor below.</p><p> </p><p>                Mochi, you’d sure as hell better save that first slice of cake for me.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                The sight that greeted me when I reached the first floor was rather nauseating, if I had to be honest. That cynical part of my brain told me that it was only a matter of time until something like this happened but having to actually see it in person did not make it any more bearable.</p><p>                Lying in a heap against the wall of the hallway was Kota, clutching his left forearm, with a pained expression on his face. The cause for this agony? Most likely the gash in his arm that was now oozing copious amounts of blood, staining the previously pristine white carpets a deep crimson. I didn’t have to look far to see that the perpetrator was one of those damn Korikumas – the hulking white bear was stood a couple of feet back, its gormless grimace as unchanging as ever, with two bloodstained claws protruding from its massive fist.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, this is…” Kota groaned, taking deep haggard breaths. “It’s certainly not a pleasant way…to spend an evening.”</p><p> </p><p>                “It’s gonna be okay, Kota,” Mayoko said reassuringly as she inspected his wound. “Just try to breathe slowly. In through the nose, out through the mouth, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>                He did as Mayoko had told him, bringing his breathing back under control, as she kicked off one of her shoes and slid off one of her thigh highs. I was a little confused by this act until I saw her fold the sock up and press it against Kota’s wound.</p><p> </p><p>                “That should help slow down the bleeding until we get you to the Medical Office.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Sorry to ruin one of your socks.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s no bother. What happened down here, Kota? Why did the Korikuma attack you?”</p><p> </p><p>                “This is gonna be…a little embarrassing…In all honesty, I…I couldn’t help but feel that Monokuma was…bluffing about how dangerous these things were…so I…”</p><p> </p><p>                I was utterly incredulous. “You picked a fight with an eight foot tall mechanical polar bear because you were curious?!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Kota, how could you be so reckless?!” Mayoko scolded.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, please, Mayoko…you sound like my boyfriend…always nagging!”</p><p> </p><p>                He was remarkably casual for someone who had just been slashed in the arm. I was still trying to process the sheer shock of what was in front of me – looking from the wounded Kota, to the looming Korikuma, back to Kota, the bloodstained carpet – until Mayoko turned to me.</p><p> </p><p>                “Jiro, could you help me carry him to the Medical Office?!” she asked, her tone commanding. “He’s too winded to stand on his own right now.”</p><p>                It was rather intimidating to see her go into action mode so suddenly, but she’s no doubt seen enough things in the police to be prepared for these kinds of crises. I quickly moved over to the two of them, taking a hold of Kota’s right arm, under the shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>                “What the fuck’s going on here?!”</p><p> </p><p>                That shrill shout was all too familiar. I turned my head to the right to catch sight of Tanki, running in from direction of the trophy hall, her furious eyes darting around the scene before settling on Mayoko and I, with Kota being haphazardly held between the two of us.</p><p> </p><p>                “This Korikuma attacked Kota,” Mayoko answered. “We’re taking him to get medical help.”</p><p> </p><p>                “And why the hell was Hugo Dross here breaking curfew?”</p><p> </p><p>                “I don’t think that’s important right now, Tanki. We need to get him some help right now.”</p><p> </p><p>                Also, it’s not technically night-time yet, but I kept that thought to myself. I didn’t want any more gut punches, thank you very much.</p><p> </p><p>                Tanki eyed the three of us suspiciously before shrugging in resignation. “Fine, whatever! Just don’t take too long. I can’t juggle both dorms all night.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Thank you, Tanki,” Mayoko said, bowing her head briefly.</p><p> </p><p>                Tanki scoffed at Mayoko’s gratitude. “You can thank me by keeping the glimmerous one here alive. Now, hop to it!”</p><p> </p><p>                She did not have to tell us twice. With Tanki’s agreement, Mayoko, led the way down the hallway, with her, Kota and I hobbling along like we were in some kind of demented four legged race. I’d never had to carry someone like this before and, God willing, I’d never have to do so again.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                “Well, I can’t say I was expecting this!”</p><p> </p><p>                A bemused voice greeted the three of us as we arrived at the Medical Office. We all stood a little dumbfounded at the sight of…</p><p> </p><p>                “Heikichi?” I asked, puzzled at his unexpected appearance here, of all places.</p><p> </p><p>                “Yup, that’s my name,” he answered warmly. “At least it was last time I checked. So, uh, what exactly happened here?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Kota picked a fight with a Korikuma and lost pretty badly.”</p><p> </p><p>                “I see. I hope you aren’t feeling too cut up about it.”</p><p> </p><p>                God damn it! As if this wasn’t bad enough, now I have puns to contend with. Judging by her short giggle, Mayoko clearly wasn’t objecting, but she got over it quickly enough and resumed her serious tone.</p><p> </p><p>                “What exactly are you doing here, Heikichi?” she asked.</p><p> </p><p>                “Honestly, I was hoping one of you would be able to explain this to me.”</p><p> </p><p>                He then pulled a folded up sheet of paper out of his lab coat pocket and showed it to us. It was a messily written note, asking for him to come to the Medical Office before night-time, then saying something about making it worth his while.</p><p>Something about that wording seemed really off, but that weirded me out nowhere near as much as the bottom of the page, where the note was signed off by red lip marks, encircled in a bouncy heart shape. This raised so many red flags to me, so I was extremely confused that Heikichi actually decided to take the writer up on their offer.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, you can’t blame a fella for being curious, can you?” Heikichi laughed, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.</p><p> </p><p>                “Jiro, could you hold onto Kota for a second?” she asked. I gave her a nod – well, more like an acquiescent shrug – and took Kota’s weight, carrying him over to an open chair at the back, as Mayoko pulled Heikichi to the entrance.</p><p>                Kota groaned a little as I sat him down, but his breathing seemed to be back to normal now, at least compared to earlier.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, this certainly takes me back,” Kota mused, wincing as he rubbed his wounded arm. “I used to be quite the accident prone boy in my elementary school days, so I was never too far from a nurse’s office.”</p><p> </p><p>                Honestly, that was quite a surprising revelation. I’d never really seen fashion-minded people as being the rough and tumble type, but I guess it takes all sorts in our weird old world. Still, he was far too calm for someone who had just been attacked by a hulking great robot. That demeanour was just straight up weird.</p><p>                I wasn’t left to ponder that thought alone for long as a short buzz emitted from somewhere in the room. I stuck my head out to peek around and saw Mayoko’s gaze transfixed on a monitor in the upper corner of the room. There Monokuma was, with that hot cocoa of his:</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>Ahem! Your heavenly host, Monokuma, has an announcement to make!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>It is now 10pm and night-time has officially begun. The lounge is now locked, and the elevator will not function until the morning.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Time to tuck in and let the sound of the mountain breeze gently lull you to sleep.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Now then, sweet dreams everyone! Good niiiiight!</em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>                The monitor flickered off and, once again, the room was silent. I decided to pop into the medical storeroom to see if I could find something to help with Kota’s arm when I  happened to catch a glimpse of Mayoko and Heikichi. It seemed as though they were having some kind of silent conversation right now, as no words were being audibly spoken, but there appeared to be a lot of arm movement involved. I couldn’t quite tell what it was, as Mayoko had strategically turned her back to Kota and I, so I was just left feeling confused by the whole endeavour.</p><p>                I tried to sneak a closer look but was taken aback when Mayoko suddenly jerked her neck to the left. Like an idiot I panicked and thought she was looking back at me, causing me to wobble on the spot, but her gaze was instead focused on something just outside the room. She didn’t stare for long however, as she turned back to Heikichi and led him back to Kota and I.</p><p> </p><p>                “Sorry, but I have to go and check something,” she said apologetically. “Jiro, Heikichi, could I ask you to keep an eye on Kota until I get back?”</p><p> </p><p>                “You can count on me,” Heikichi nodded.</p><p> </p><p>                “You sure you want to go alone?” I asked suspiciously. “I can come with you, if – “</p><p> </p><p>                “No, I’ll be okay. Just stay here with Heikichi and Kota, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>                Something about her tone sounded very off, as if she had just been caught in a wrongdoing and put on the spot, but I got the feeling that she was serious about going on her own. Against my better judgement, I shrugged and agreed to her request. After thanking us, she then took off into the hallway and vanished from sight.</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, this is shaping up to be a lively evening,” Heikichi said cheerfully. “Now then, why don’t I take a look at that arm, Kota.”</p><p> </p><p>                Kota offered out his arm to Heikichi. By this point, the blood had soaked all the way through Mayoko’s sock and there was very little white left beneath all of the bloody crimson. Heikichi seemed rather befuddled for a second, until he paused for a second and came to some kind of realisation – maybe it just occurred to him that Mayoko was only wearing one sock just now.</p><p>                He then ran into the storeroom, returning with a roll of bandages, some dressing and a small brown bottle. He muttered something to Kota about needing to disinfect the wound, who seemed to understand what he was going on about. In all honesty, I was glad that Heikichi had taken over because I had no idea how to treat a cut, especially one this bad, so I stepped back and let the chemist work his magic.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, out with it?” I asked sternly.</p><p> </p><p>                Kota looked back at me with mock obliviousness. “Out with what, Jiro?”</p><p> </p><p>                “You just picked a fight with a Korikuma. Why did you really do it?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Like I said, I’ve been starting to doubt just how dangerous they really are. Most days, they don’t really do much except stand around, looking somewhat menacing. I wanted to see for myself whether or not they were actually dangerous at all.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Yeah and look where that’s gotten you.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Better me than someone not so good at taking care of themselves, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>                You just had your arm cut up by a giant robot bear. Excuse me if I’m not so convinced of your ability to take care of yourself. Kota then winced a little as Heikichi began dabbing at his wound with  a damp cloth.</p><p> </p><p>                “Still, I suppose I was lucky that you and Mayoko were nearby. If you weren’t, I might have ended up la mort. Finito.”</p><p> </p><p>                Yeah, yeah, no need to show off your language skills.</p><p> </p><p>Kota then flashed me a rather knowing smile and wink, as if he could read my mind just now. I shuffled on the spot and avoided eye contact with him. By now, it looked as though Heikichi had finished treating Kota’s wound and was now starting to apply the dressing.</p><p> </p><p>                “You seem pretty good at that,” I said. “Is that just part of the chemist gig or something?”</p><p> </p><p>                Heikichi didn’t answer my question and continued covering up Kota’s wound. Kota tapped him on the shoulder with his free arm and gestured to me.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, sorry, what was that?” he asked, looking admittedly rather confused. It was a strange look in his eye, I can tell you that much.</p><p> </p><p>                “I said you seemed to be pretty good at the whole treating wounds business.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, right! I’ve got a little sister, you see? Masaki, her name is. She’s just so rambunctious, she’s always getting into trouble. Scraped knees are kinda commonplace in our house, so I figured I should learn some basic first aid to help out, just in case.”</p><p> </p><p>                He spoke of his sister so warmly that it was admittedly rather wholesome. Truth be told, I actually have a sister myself – mind you, she’s only a year or two younger and I wouldn’t call her rambunctious so much as a smartass. I really hope she didn’t get it from me.</p><p> </p><p>                “That should be good to go for now,” Heikichi said, turning back to Kota, having now finished wrapping up the dressing in a bandage. “Make sure to change the dressing regularly until it’s fully healed, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>                “You’re a credit to your skill as a chemist and a big brother, Heikichi,” Kota responded warmly.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ah, no. It’s really nothing. Anyway, I should probably wash my hands now.”</p><p> </p><p>                He then turned back to me, showing off his hands, which were now covered in the tacky remnants of Kota’s blood. “Wouldn’t want Tanki to catch me red handed, now would we?”</p><p> </p><p>                Kota chuckled at Heikichi’s pun and I just turned around and groaned. Now granted, puns are still significantly more bearable than whatever Takuji called “art”, but that didn’t make them any less corny. What did I do to deserve such a bizarre evening?</p><p> </p><p>                “Three bros, chilling in a medical office…”</p><p> </p><p>                Oh, for fuck’s sake.</p><p> </p><p>                “Actually, that’s way too clunky; it really messes up the cadence of the song. Forget I said anything,” Takuji mused, as he poked his head around the doorway. “So, what’s going on here, gents?”</p><p> </p><p>                I wanted to get out of the room as soon as possible, but Takuji was barring the door and the only other place to go was the storeroom at the back. With nowhere to go, I just groaned and collapsed into a nearby chair.</p><p> </p><p>                “Tending to my broken pride, it seems like,” Kota chuckled, as if he could read my mind.</p><p> </p><p>                Kota then went on to explain tonight’s misadventure to Takuji, whose face went through so many different exaggerated emotions that I couldn’t tell if he was taking the mick or not.</p><p> </p><p>“Anyway, Takuji,” I interrupted snappily. “What on Earth are you doing down here?!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, I’d just left my room to give you another photo edit of mine when I was rather rudely interrupted by little miss Tanki, and she was all like…”</p><p> </p><p>                He then proceeded to tilt his torso forward and pivot it in a circle with his legs stretched wide and his arm curled around, ending in a fist. As much as the image of him getting a gut punch amused me, I couldn’t enjoy the thought for too long as I almost immediately realised what he was referencing. I’m starting to wonder if it says more about me that I actually understand his damn references.</p><p> </p><p>                “So anyway, she told me to tell you to, and I quote ‘hurry your ass up or you can say goodbye to your grandkids’.”</p><p> </p><p>                Yeah, that certainly sounds like Tanki. I opened up my eHandbook to check the time – to my surprise, it was now 10:30 at night. I guess it’s true what they say: time flies when you’re helping someone get their arm fixed. I was about to open my mouth and object before Heikichi cut me off.</p><p> </p><p>                “Don’t worry about Kota. I’ll stay here and wait with him until Mayoko comes back to get us.”</p><p> </p><p>                Honestly, I was just looking for an excuse to not have to walk back to the dorms with Takuji, and risk exposure to more of his irreverent ramblings, but Heikichi had to go and be helpful. I suppose I couldn’t really get too mad at him though. Regardless, I realised it was a fight I had already lost, so I rose out of my seat and shuffled towards the door, giving Kota and Heikichi a half-hearted wave as Takuji skipped out ahead of me, with those sickeningly rosy cheeks that I was far too tired to even get mad at.</p><p>                If there was any consolation, at least I was probably about to get some damn sleep.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>                Can’t I have just one normal day here, in this hellish lodge?!</p><p> </p><p>                My little night-time excursion had come to an end as Takuji and I had arrived back at the boys dorms. As we got back there, we were both greeted with a customary fist to the stomach, courtesy of take a freaking guess.</p><p> </p><p>                “What the hell was that for?” I groaned, clutching my bruised stomach as I stood doubled over.</p><p> </p><p>                “That was for taking too long to get back,” Tanki shot back. “I didn’t expect it to take you so long to drag someone over to the Medical Office. Also, where the hell is Mr Bleeds Everywhere?”</p><p> </p><p>                I explained to her how we had left Heikichi to take care of Kota and, when she was about to get started on him breaking curfew, she didn’t seem too satisfied with my false answer of “I don’t know.” I also explained how Mayoko had left us in the Medical Office shortly after we arrived, but that I didn’t know what she was doing either. I could tell that my lack of information was starting to piss her off, but all I could do was shrug.</p><p> </p><p>                “And what about me?” Takuji lamented.</p><p> </p><p>                “You looked far too pleased with yourself and it was annoying me.”</p><p> </p><p>                Okay, now that was funny to me. Takuji found it somewhat funny too, apparently, letting out a meek little: “Understandable. Have a great night!”</p><p> </p><p>                With that last quip, he then hobbled over to his door and slunk back into his room. I was still physically reeling from the gut punch, so it took me a while to regain my composure and stand back upright.</p><p> </p><p>                “Man, you really are as tough as a paper bag,” Tanki snarked.</p><p> </p><p>                Well, last I checked, I didn’t expect to have to get used to a gut punch every night, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers when you’re in a Killing Game.</p><p> </p><p>                “You know what, I’ve had a hell of a night, so just get the fuck to sleep before I lose my temper again.”</p><p> </p><p>                Strangely enough, she actually did look rather tired. I was a little unsure how she could be this tired already since the night-watch had barely started. Still, this was a golden opportunity to get away from her before she changed her mind, so I quickly shuffled to my bedroom door.</p><p>I’m not sure why it occurred to me just then, but I had realised that the hallway was dead quiet. The whimsical music drifting from Blitzfeld’s room was no longer audible – I guess he took my advice seriously. I didn’t feel like congratulating myself for too long, so I opened the door to my room and stepped inside. As I was closing the door behind me, I could just about make out the last vestiges of a conversation.</p><p> </p><p>                “Where the fuck have you been?!” Tanki moaned. As for the party she was addressing…</p><p> </p><p>                “Sorry, Tanki. I thought it best to help escort Heikichi and Kota back myself.”</p><p> </p><p>                As horrible as tonight was, I was at least glad that the last voice I could hear before going to bed was Mayoko’s. Yes, I know how that sounds, but trust me, it isn’t like that. Look, if you were to get trapped in a remote mountain lodge with a bunch of madcap nutcases for God knows how long, you’d appreciate every last bit of ordinary company you could find as well.</p><p>                Anyway, that was enough being defensive. Once I was in line with my bed, I just let go of myself and faceplanted my bedsheets, like a marionette that had had its strings cut. I finished crawling onto the bed and under the sheets – within five minutes, I was out like a log.</p><p>                I really had no idea why tonight of all nights had to be as bizarre as it was. From helping Mochi to break curfew and to carrying a wounded Kota around to Mayoko’s temporary disappearance and the bombardment of puns and memes. With any luck, tomorrow would be a completely ordinary day and I could just pretend that today was a glitch in the matrix or something.</p><p> </p><p>                Oh, who am I kidding?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 1: Daily Life (Jiro Part 3)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After a hectic evening of misadventures, Jiro awakens, hoping for the normal day that was denied him yesterday.</p><p>Of course, from this short chapter length, you should all know that something is up. This is a Killing Game, after all.</p><p>CW // Description of dead body</p>
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  <em>Monokuma Theatre:</em>
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  <em>There aren’t very many things in this world that are certainties, you see? Anything could change on the turn of a dime.</em>
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  <em>It’s like this day when I was out relaxing at the beach. Why was I at the beach you ask? Hey, even an ursine robot sex symbol has to catch some rays from time to time, you know? I don’t ask you any uncomfortable questions about the photos of that 3000 year old dragon you hide in your bedside drawer.</em>
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  <em>Anyway, beach time! There I was, lathering sunscreen all over my bulbous belly when I could see a family out in the ocean, having a cheerful time. Just a regular old family having fun at the beach. All of a sudden…</em>
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  <em>CHOMP!</em>
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  <em>The dad get’s devoured out of the blue by a great white. Gone in a single gulp. Everyone’s screaming and panicking, but papa’s gone bye bye. Sharks are awfully amazing at making people miserable. I should really ask them for professional advice one of these days.</em>
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  <em>That’s why you’ve really gotta hold on tight to the things you wanna keep close by. You never know when something will slip from your grasp.</em>
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  <em>Just don’t go holding on too tight or pimple popping YouTube will have a field day.</em>
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  <em>Side: Jiro</em>
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  <em>2F – Boy’s Dormitory</em>
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  <em>Jiro’s Room</em>
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  <em>Ahem! Your heavenly host, Monokuma, has an announcement to make!</em>
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  <em>Good morning, everyone! Hope you all got plenty of rest and relaxation last night, here at the top of the world.</em>
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  <em>It is now 7AM, so wake up, get up and get out there to enjoy another beautiful new day.</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                Boy, what I wouldn’t give to have a night with anything close to rest and relaxation in this damn place. Sadly, I had to remind myself that this was a Killing Game, so I wasn’t allowed to have nice things.</p><p>                With the usual degree of effort, I hauled myself out of bed and proceeded to stretch my arms out above me to try and rid myself of any lingering traces of tiredness. Unfortunately, with how little sleep I ended up getting last night, this was a rather fruitless endeavour. My sleeping schedule had already been thrown out of whack from prolonged exposure to this messed up situation, but the added workload of last night’s hectic events certainly did not help.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Knock knock kn-knock</em>
</p><p> </p><p>                And an early morning visitor wasn’t gonna help either. This was two days in a row now, so I was hoping that this wasn’t going to become a pattern. Best case scenario, it’ll be Mochi, here to thank me for my help last night with the first slice of that Ultimate quality cake; worst case scenario would be a shin kick and an insult, courtesy of Tanki. I wonder what it says about me that neither of those seemed outlandish to me anymore.</p><p> </p><p>                “A pleasant morning to you, dear Jiro!” Kota mused. “My heavens, you looking as though you’ve just crawled out of your grave!”</p><p> </p><p>                Well, considering that you almost bled to death all over me yesterday, I think I’ll take that with a grain of salt. Still, on the scale of cake to kick, Kota’s at least personable enough to be inoffensive. He certainly seemed to be surprisingly perky, given that his left arm was now in a sling.</p><p> </p><p>                “Hey, Kota…” I groaned, rubbing my eyes. “Anything I can do you for?”</p><p> </p><p>                “I was just popping by to say thank you for your help last night. You really came through in a pinch, old boy.”</p><p> </p><p>                Yeah, sure. Maybe if you hadn’t decided to pick a fight with that Korikuma, I might not look like such a zombie. Also, old boy? I saw the report cards on the eHandbook and you are quite clearly three and a half months my senior.</p><p> </p><p>                “Anyway, I was just on my way to breakfast. I thought I might ask if you’d like to come with me, but…well, I’ll give you a moment to freshen yourself up a bit. You know, try and look a bit more presentable. You might even want to try tucking your shirt in.”</p><p> </p><p>                Kota gave me a short bow and headed for the stairs. As he vanished just out of view, I started to wonder if I should’ve just left the flashy git to bleed out last night. Sadly, I had to be a good citizen and help him get his arm fixed. Oh well. No use complaining now.</p><p>                If nothing else, Kota’s visit had helped to wake me up fully, so there wasn’t really any point standing around here, feeling sorry for myself. After running back to my bathroom to splash my face with water, I picked up my eHandbook from my desk and exited my room, pulling the door closed behind me.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                It wasn’t a particularly long walk, but I was here now, outside the Lounge. I could see that the door was slightly ajar. Judging from the quiet muttering coming from inside, it seemed that I wasn’t the first one here. I reached for the handle and prepared to push it open, when…</p><p> </p><p>                “Good morning, Jiro.”</p><p> </p><p>                I turned to face the speaker and found it was Mayoko, looking mostly pleasant, if not for the gradually forming bags under her eyes. Still, her cheerfulness was hardly an unwelcome sight.</p><p> </p><p>                “Morning to you too,” I answered back. “Guessing you still have a lot of sleep to catch up on.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh! Oh yes, of course. I was just going to check in on everyone first and grab some breakfast before heading back…” Mayoko paused for a moment to yawn. “Back to my room.”</p><p> </p><p>                Yeah, this chick really needs to get some sleep.</p><p>                As my hand was already on the door to the Lounge, I beckoned towards it. “Well, I guess we should probably head in then.”</p><p> </p><p>                With a confirmatory nod from Mayoko, I pushed the door open to enter the lounge. As I had figured, there was already a few people here: Kota was sat rather resplendently in the revolving armchair parallel to the fire place; Chiba and Kotona were positioned nearby, noticeably interested in his sling and asking all sorts of questions (well, Chiba did most of the asking, while Kotona just looked on nervously); Midori was in her usual place at the back windows, wistfully trying to get a good look at the ice rink that was apparently hidden just out of view outside; and Gennai was sat at one of the benches, seemingly trying to avoid a conversation with an enthusiastic Blitzfeld.</p><p> </p><p>                “Ah! Fraulein Etsuko! Herr Kurosawa!”</p><p> </p><p>                As soon as Blitzfeld had called us out, all eyes were now upon us and the awkward feeling of being stared at was once again all over me.</p><p> </p><p>                “What what what what’s this?!” Chiba cooed, rushing over to meet us with uncomfortable speed. “Mayoko-ko and Ji-Ji-Ji-Jiro coming to breakfast together? Does this mean something?! Is it too early to coin the hashtag Jiyoko?!”</p><p> </p><p>                Okay firstly, breathe. Secondly, please find a less awkward hashtag if you’re gonna start shipping us. Thirdly, why are you trying to start shipping us?!</p><p> </p><p>                “No, it’s just a coincidence. We bumped into each other just outside the lounge,” Mayoko answered bemusedly, causing Chiba’s face to sink in an instant.</p><p> </p><p>                “Aww, boo! Here I thought we had another big scoop of the day.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Another big scoop?” I asked, unsure if I really wanted to take the bait.</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, don’t worry too much about it,” Kota said, looking a little pink from embarrassment. “Chiba was just a little too overexcited about my arm, that’s all.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Can you really blame me? You just swagger on in with your arm cut to pieces, resting in a sling?! That’s the most exciting thing to happened since we got here, especially since we’re in a K-I-L-L-I-N-G Game!”</p><p> </p><p>                “Well, I guess you aren’t entirely wrong. It was a pretty harrowing experience. Thank goodness Mayoko and Jiro were there to help carry me to the Medical Office and get me fixed up. They truly were the heroes of the hour.”</p><p> </p><p>                “A toast to our new heroes!” Blitzfeld added, raising his fist skyward. His overenthusiasm was causing Gennai to recoil in second-hand embarrassment.</p><p> </p><p>                “No, honestly, I was just doing my job,” Mayoko said bashfully. “Really, I was just doing what anybody else would. It was…well, it was the right thing to do, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>                “And it’s because you did the right thing that Kota was able to get the help he needed,” Kotona joined in sweetly. “You really were being serious when you said you would protect us, Mayoko. I knew we could put our faith in you.”</p><p> </p><p>                Kotona then bowed humbly towards Mayoko who, by this point, was starting to blush quite violently and clearly just wanted to sit down. Honestly, with all this attention, I couldn’t blame her. In fact, just standing next to her was giving me unwanted residual attention, so I quietly shuffled over to the bench where Blitzfeld and Gennai were sat. I unconsciously reached across the table to grab a breakfast tart, only to find myself grabbing thin air.</p><p> </p><p>                “Are you alright, Herr Kurosawa?” Blitzfeld asked bemusedly. “You seem to be pawing into the aether. It’s rather odd.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh, sorry,” I answered, trying to play dumb. “I guess I was just expecting something breakfasty to be laid out. Maybe I haven’t finished waking up yet.”</p><p> </p><p>                I awkwardly retracted my hand and stuck it underneath the table, hoping that no one else had seen my unconscious slip, but Gennai turned his head away and smirked. Nice going, Jiro.</p><p> </p><p>                “Come to think of it, has anyone seen Mochi today?” Mayoko asked concernedly. “Isn’t he usually one of the first up?”</p><p> </p><p>                “Now that you mention it, I don’t think I have,” Kotona said. “He is usually the first to arrive to get breakfast ready, but I didn’t see him when I arrived this morning. The only person here was Gennai.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Maybe he got here even earlier and  just went straight down to the kitchen,” Kota suggested, seemingly wanting to calm tensions.</p><p> </p><p>                “Or maybe he was scared of getting another gut punch from Tanki and is waiting until it’s safe to leave his room,” Gennai said, his voice full of a trepidation that suggested he had some kind of experience with that feeling. I guess Tanki was at least being a violent asshole to everyone, even if it just seemed to be the guys so far.</p><p> </p><p>                “I dunno,” Midori piped up from the back, still gazing out of the window. “Even if he was worried about Tanki, I get the feeling the Mochi’s not the kind to just hide in his room. You know how excited he gets about baking.”</p><p> </p><p>                Knowing what I did, that was certainly an understatement. It was possible that he was just putting the finishing touches to his cake, but I very well couldn’t tell everybody that – what would be the point of letting Mochi bake a surprise cake and then ruin the surprise?</p><p> </p><p>                “I may just check the kitchen really quick,” Mayoko said, beginning to make her way to the stairwell that led downstairs.</p><p> </p><p>                “She probably just wanted to get away from all of you pestering her,” Gennai groaned, seeing that Mayoko was out of earshot. “If I was her, I probably would have died of embarrassment.”</p><p> </p><p>                “Oh oh oh, someone’s jelly!” Chiba giggled, bouncing over so that she could prod him in the arm. Her face was like that of a mischievous kitten.</p><p> </p><p>                “What, no! Why would I be jealous of having everyone crowd around me at all times, telling me how wonderful I am? I just want to live a quiet life, thank you very much.”</p><p> </p><p>                That would probably be a lot more believable if there wasn’t a bitter undercurrent of envy in your voice, Gennai. Trust me, I know that feeling of wanting a quiet life, but maybe try a little self-reflection first.</p><p> </p><p>                “EVERYONE!”</p><p> </p><p>                A panicked shout echoed from the stairwell to the kitchen. Mayoko had to have found something and, judging by the painful way her voice cracked, this was not going to be good news. Midori was closest to the door, so she bolted downstairs first, her nimble ice dancer physique giving her a killer starting sprint; quickly followed by Blitzfeld, Chiba, Gennai and Kota; leaving me and Kotona lagging behind. Kotona seemed reluctant to run, partly because her geta probably weren’t comfortable to run in, but there was also pained look of dread in her eyes that was utterly haunting.</p><p> </p><p>                “Please, don’t let this be what I think it is,” she muttered tearfully. “After what I just said to Mayoko, please don’t let it be this.”</p><p> </p><p>I finally got up and headed towards the door with her, trying not to leave her behind. As we began to make our way downstairs, we could see everyone huddled around the entrance to the kitchen. Mayoko was blocking entry, her face ashen and eyes empty. She looked up at Kotona and I as we reached the others, and it was like I could see through to her soul. Within those eyes was a feeling I could only describe as the cold bitter sting of defeat…no, despair.</p><p>                Mayoko breathed in heavily and opened the way into the kitchen, allowing all of us to pour in and see a gruesome image that none us would be able to forget as long as we all would live.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>                Laying there, in between two of the counters, was a body: a body splayed out on its back, with all its visible skin clammy and grey; its arms outstretched, with fingers curled upwards, in some kind of relaxed grip; and bloodshot eyes noticeable under the cracked remains of what appeared to be a pair of large round spectacles.</p><p> </p><p>                The body of Maruki “Mochi” Ryobe.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>&lt;END OF DAILY LIFE&gt;</strong>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So there we have it! The first body! Pour one out for our poor unfortunate baker boy.</p><p>Here we are at the end of the Daily Life. It was a bit of a long ride, but we have reach the Good Stuff™, as they say. I hope that there's enough interest in the events so far for you all to have some theories leading up to now, so see you all on the other side of that Trial...</p><p>...and this is where I now pre-emptively apologise for going on hiatus again.</p><p>I really wanted to take time over these last few weeks to sit down and power through the Deadly Life segment. I tried so many evenings to find the motivation to just pound out a few parts. Unfortunately, the 2020s, continue to be a depressing cesspool and finding the will to be creative is really difficult. I haven't even had the energy to cosplay without the ticking clock of a convention hanging over me.</p><p>I won't say when I'll be able to start posting again, but it will be the full Investigation and Trial once I do come back. Beyond that it will be hard to say, but I want to thank those who hopped aboard the story in these past few weeks. Those extra few kudos were noticed an appreciated, so thank you all.</p>
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